Rusty Bowtie
Miscellaneous => Members Builds - Stocker -Streetrod - Ratrod - LowRider => Topic started by: Essex_29 on August 06, 2022, 10:57:09 AM
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I'm part way into a hot rod build, and thought I'd share some of what I'm working with. I don't know how to cathegorize my build, it's part hot rod, part rat rod, mainly I focus on having fun.
Some background:
In the fall of 2019 I bought the Marquette by Buick and got it home. Before this I had bought a junkyard V12 from an older BMW 750. I chose a Buick because they had large eight cylinder engines in 1931. The Buick was sold to me as a 1931 Buick, and when I arrived at home, I was very sad to notice that I had indeed not bought a 1931 Buick, but rather a 1930 Marquette. The difference may be a problem in the future when it's time to get it MOT tested and street legal. I decided to roll with it, and now am used to caling it "the Buick". I do like the proportions and looks of the car in any case, and it's a two door sedan, which is exactly what I wanted.
An abundance of chores took me to December 2019 before getting the old lady rolled into the garage, the first picture is from that day.
Second pic is a photoshopped pic from that time showing what I'm aiming for: A fully fendered hot rod with wideish radials and it's supposed to be a pretty practical driver.
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The V12 engine in its original guise is not a good looking one, seen from a hot rodder's perspective. Most of what could be removed was, and I was left with a narrow high engine. And it was going to be carbureted.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick111.jpg)
The frame here bolted to the floor, making like a make shift frame jig.
The intake
To make the intake I needed some flanges done.
As I panned to get them laser cut, I needed drawings, and downloaded free cad, watched some tutorials and got busy drawing parts.
Of course it took me a couple weeks to learn by doing, and here's a look at what I got done:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick141_1.jpg)
1. Upper intake flange ( with a bunch of 2" exhaust flanges to save material).
2. Top intake flange with holes for two four barrel carbs ( bolts to the #1 flange)
3. Drawing for the number 2 part
4. Four barrel carb flanges. These will be spaced up about an inch off the top intake.
5. 2" exhaust flange
6. 2-1/2" exhaust flange.
7. Intake to cylinder head flange.
A few days after sending the drawings to the laser cutting company, I got a text telling me to come get my cut parts.
I was pretty excited to see the parts that I had drawn.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick141_2.jpg)
Just a matter of filling in the blanks spaces between the flanges with sheet metal and tubing to make an intake now.
This is modern times already. Work started on the intake July 15, so it's less than a month ago.
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I started working in the intake runners a couple days ago, cutting sort pieces with a supposed 13 degree angle, then a 37 degree angle of a pipe bend. Of course doing this cutting free hand with a simple jig, the angles were more or less off, all of them.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick141a.jpg)
A. I ended up cutting and adjusting, then tacking a piece and a bend. 6 pieces were an average length, the six others were off, either shorter or longer, and got dedicaed third parts to compensate.
B. Then they were welded to make 12 equal length runners. 36 pieces of tubing, bad engineeering, I should have them from two, instead of three pieces, but there you go.
C. All 24 welds were ground off, and the insides were smoothed with a small grinder with a rotating file.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick141b.jpg)
I had to check for clearance for the intake bolts under the plenum floor. This will be enough, but the intake will be very tall.
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I took the intake flanges off the engine to tack the intake runners to the flanges.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick141c.jpg)
The intake flanges are tacked together with sheet metal pieces to keep their relative angle when off the engine.
When eight runners were tacked to the intake flanges, the whole thing was bolted back to the engine. Simple intake by the way, no water and no exhaust in it.
After some measuring and planning, a plywood template was cut with a hole saw to cut holes for the intake runners in the plenum floor piece with the plasma.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick142.jpg)
The plenum is designed short, so the outermost runners will turn into the ends of the plenum by using tube bends cut to fit to the plenum end pieces. Form over function perhaps, but I think it will work decently too.
The holes in the plenum floor will be ground to fit loosely around the runnes, and the conjunctions will be ground round and smooth to promote air flow over the awkward angles.
Hoping to be able to weld this, without warping the flanges too much.
I recently got an Edelbrock 500cfm 1404 in the mail so now I just have to find another one.
Turned out the flanges warped a bit. Heating them from the back side with the tig got them straightened out nicely.
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Cool build. 👍
Keep us posted. I would love to be able to cut my own parts. 😎
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Good for you...a lot more than I would ever tackle!
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Thank you Rattiac, I'd love to be able to cut parts with some kind of precision myself. The plasma with thin plywood templates work nicely if exact precision is not all that important. The laser cut parts were awesome, I could thread the cut holes, they were very exactly cut.
Haha, EDNY, you can probably guess how it goes: I get an idea and think "that's doable". Then I work on it like crazy, feeling dumb for not realizing how much work it really is. Me and my project are like the Dunning-Kruger effect in person.
Anyway.
After getting the intake runners welded to the intake to cylinderhead flanges, it was time for some serious grinding. I'm better at grinding than welding, so this makes the whole thing look decent in a new way.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143b.jpg)
Bolted back to the cylinderheads, the runners were welded to the plenum floor and more grinding to do.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143c.jpg)
To avoid getting a bunch of debris down the intake runnes and weld spatter onto the valves, I made intake "gaskets" from 19 gauge sheet metal, with no holes but for the bolts. Also I filled the intake ports with tee shirt fabric.
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This is interesting stuff. I'm looking forward to more.
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Nice to hear, sixball, here's some more:
Parts for the plenum were cut to exact sizes and tacked together to form a box.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143a.jpg)
The end plates wre cut to mate with the outermost intake runners.
The top of the plenum consists of a frame that is about 3/4" wide all around the outer edges and that has 30+ holes tapped with M6 threads, and a top part with corresponding holes for the 30+ M6 bolts. Everything was welded together to form a box like shape.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143d.jpg)
Again a lot of grinding to make the entrances to the intake runners smooth along the outer edges, and of course the bendy end pipes.
Finally the whole thing was given a thorough sanding on the outside.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143e.jpg)
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Finally a kind of "collars" were welded to the top of the plenum, for the carburetor flanges to sit on.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick143f.jpg)
One of the reasons for the bolt on intake top is to gain access to grinding welds on the inside. Also, if it works otherwise, I can easily make another version for, say three 2Gs, or even injection.
Intake on the engine, carbs on the intake.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick145.jpg)
The whole thing looks pretty nince already, two fours is always a good look. The carbs will be two 500 cfm Edelbrocks, and I know it's probably way too much, but I just have to hope that I will be able get the engine to run somewhat decent.
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Good work. The Edelbrock carbs are highly adjustable even beyond the jetting & rod combos listed in the book.
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Very cool build Essex_29! Nice fab work!
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Thank you for the kind words, TFoch and sixball! And yes, I like the Edelbrock carbs and they way they adjust. I had a 700 cfm Edelbrock on a 455 Olds some time ago, and I got that one to run very nicely after changing jets and rods, and getting the springs right. I've also worked on twin Weber DCOEs, they are almost infinitely adjustable, and with the help of the 1977 Weber book and a wideband lambda, I got the engine (Ford Cortina GT historic racing car) to run just perfect. Carbs can be fun, especially if one has the time and energy to work methodically with them.
So, next on the agenda would have been the ignitionsystem(s) on the V12. Yes, they're actually two separate ignition systems. As from factory, the BMW V12 had two totally separate Motronic ECUs running totally separate ignition and fuel injection systems for each of the two cylinder banks.
My plan originally, was to do this:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick146e.jpg)
I meant to cut two Ford Cologne V6 distributors, and drive them off the camshafts. In theory I tried all kinds of ideas, until I got very frustrated with the packaging issue I ran into how ever I tried to make the distributors short and compact. The end result would inevitable result in my moving the engine back a few inches, and that in turn would force me to rework the firewall... OR to cut the frame and lengthen it.
About a week ago, I decided to back down from one of my principles, and throw out the mechanical distributor idea, and go with an aftermarket ECU to take care of the ignition advance and timing, two coils to send spark to the stock "dumb" distributors.
This will result in a bit of a dilemma, in other words, me having something in my car that I can't fix on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere if disaster would strike. On the other hand it may well work for many years without service...
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There is a lot of info online discussing distributorless ignition systems (homemade and commercial). One system that you might consider is the OBD1 GM Tune Port Injection since they are "bank firing" versus the more complicated (OBD2) sequential firing system. You would need to determine whether to use speed density or MAF.
This would only take care of the fuel injector portion and being bank firing it would inject fuel on the entire left and/or right banks at one time....you can wire in as many injectors on one bank as needed.
Now the ignition portion needs to be addressed. I can burn any TPI chips you need.
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You may find some answers at DIYAUTOTUNE. It is a world of it's own and can be over whelming. I haven't used the site in years and if looks different but I'm sure the info is still there. There was a very extensive forum component filled with posts from users. I would bet that someone has put a MSII on one of these engines, They can run injection & ignition. I built one several years ago and if I can do it anyone can. There is so much out there now I'm sure you can figure this out.
https://www.diyautotune.com/shop/megasquirt-kits-components/ (https://www.diyautotune.com/shop/megasquirt-kits-components/)
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Just throwing this option out if running carbs or EFI:
1993 Porsche 911 964 Bosch Twin Plug Dual Distributor 0237503004
Ebay Link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134103428791?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338590836&toolid=10044&customid=296f69d68772198d84980b229595b299
Connected via belt inside
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Too Cool! I'll stick with one six, that's enough for me! ;D
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Thank you for all the suggestions! EDNY and sixball!
That double Porsche distributor on ebay is probably the coolest/craziest thing I've ever seen! Talk about over engineered!
Anyway, I've decided to go with MaXXECU. It's made in Sweden and there's a local guy here, who sells them and he has a very good reputation. He's going to make me an ignition map so I can get started. and also to make the right connectors for my simple ignition system.. So, in case that really works out, it's a lot different than starting to work on a Speeduino or Megasquirt with all the forum talk and learning by doing.
The MaxxECU will drive two coils and send the spark through the two stock distributors that are mounted to the front of the cylinder heads, and are driven off the cam shafts. The engine also has a 60-2 wheel on the crank, so the only ignition-thing not stock will be the ECU.
So, to more practical things:
Engine and transmission mounts.
I cut a bunch of parts from steel plate, a bit over 3/16" thick with the plasma, and then let them soak in weak acid over night. When sanded they looked this nice.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick147.jpg)
I forgot to take pics when making the engine mounts. They're more than half way inside the frame anyway, I might post pics of them when I get the engine out of the way.
The big plate bolts to the rear of the transmission and looks like this when welded and ready.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick147a.jpg)
The transmission is a heavy duty six speed ZF 56DZ, which is heavy for a manual transmission, but the mount is still probably overkill.
The whole thing bolts to the rear of the transmission housing like this.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick147b.jpg)
Just as I was going to weld the chassis mounts to the K-member, I happened to get that they have to be removeble, otherwise the transmission won't come out downwards when the body is on the frame. So bolt on mounts had to be made.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick147c.jpg)
Here's what it looks like right now. Both sides are ready to weld. I hope to get this done tomorrow. The rubber mounts are Volvo 740 transmission mounts. Cheap and easy to get here. One takes what one gots.
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Nice work Essex_29!
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keep up the good work v12,enjoying the build.
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That is some nice work there. Great job Essex_29
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Great work. Thanks for the tip on the Volvo mounts too.
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THank you all for the kind words! Volvo engine mounts are a bit bigger, but they have M12 size threads, and my engine mounts just had 10 mm holes, so I went with the smaller transmission mounts.
M10 is similar in size to 3/8"unc, M12 is almost 1/2".
Anyway, The transmission mounts were welded yesterday, so they're done. This is what they look like, welded and gusseted:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick147d.jpg)
The engine and transmission were hoisted out of the frame to gain access to finish the engine mounts. I saw my welds for the first time now. not pretty. I welded those little tacks with a mirror. Obviously not my thing...
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148b.jpg)
When the engine mount is welded to the inside of the frame, it will be framed with box plate and this round plate. Forming 1/8" thick sheet metal takes some hammering.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148a.jpg)
The stock engine mounts on this engine look pretty nice, so I elected to use them, even as they force me to make the frame mounts partly inside the frame. I think the frame will be plenty strong here anyway. The engine mounts are big enough for Volvo Engine mounts, if I just drill out the holes, as a precaution, if the smaller mounts start to give.
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Finally today I got something done. I've been working on making parts and bits for the engine mounts
for a few days. some days aren't efficient, for example when you get a visitor. It's fun when it happens,
but the efficiency suffers.
Anyway, the box plates are done, the right hand side one is tacked and the driver's side one is fully welded.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148c.jpg)
The box plate got a lightening hole and a 1/4"-20 thread for a brake line. The angled joint on the box plate
stems from my model airplane building days. An angled joint is stronger than a straight off one.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148d.jpg)
I think I'll grind off the vertical welds around the engine mounts. The welds will be plenty strong enough anyway
everything is welded thoroughly, also the inner parts that aren't visible anymore. Especially those welds done
in a mirror in my plast post.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148e.jpg)
Still some work with tidying up the underside of the frame here at the engine mount. The bocx plates
would look much tidier if I grind those welds down smooth.
The frame is bolted to the floor, using it as a make shift chassis jig. After the right hand side box plate
and engine mount is all welded, I will unbolt the frame from the floor, turn it over and finish weld everything.
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It looks good. Glad to see someone making progress.
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hey bjorn you have been busy welding looks great.hello from ireland
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Nice work!
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Thank you sixball, I'm working on keeping some momentum. It's hard to get the ball rolling again, once
it stopped. I had a one year break when building my last rod, and it took me several attempts to get up to
speed again.
Nice, Chris, to have you on board :) Hope you check in now and then. At least I haven't figured out how to
get update notifications by email yet.
Thankyou for your positive support TFoch!
So, as I mentioined in my last post, I ground down the vertical welds at the engine mounts, and that made
things look much tidier.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148f.jpg)
I squirted on some semi gloss black just because. I don't know what to do with the box plate welds, they'll
be visible her in the engine bay area. Hmm, should I grind them smooth? They're not good looking so
we'll see if I feel like tidying them up some.
I cut a couple slices off the sides to get the radiatorshell to sit lower, where it belongs. The original front crossmember was about 5/8"
lower and almost two inches wider, hence the cutting.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick148g.jpg)
Looks great now that the engine and transmission hangs in their own proper mounts, no wood on the
floor to prop it all up, like there has been since December... for nine months. How time flies.
Oh, and don't mind the funny carbs. I do a lot of plasma cutting and other dirty work and I don't want to have decent carbs get all clogged up.
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Big accomplishment to get the engine sitting in the frame on it's mounts! Keep a it!
Tom
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That looks great! You are a welding machine.
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My thoughts on grinding welds, penetration is the key to strength, if you beveled the edges {if thick enough} of the two pieces that you welded together grinding should be fine. If not, I would not grind. To dress them up before paint smear a coat of seam sealer over them to give them a smooth appearance.
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Thank you TFoch for the encouragement, and chopper526, I do love my welder *grins*.
Yes, 62131, I do try to make good welds, and always bevel the edges to get as good penetration
as I possibly can. I decided to grind the welds around the engine mounts for esthetical reasons, and I
don't doubt they'll be strong enough anyway. The engine mount "stands" on two gussets against the
bottom frame flange, and the box plate is just that. I think it will be strong enough, and I'm pretty
certain that the engine won't fall out.
Since I live far north and summers are short, I had planned to go hunting for a roof, and this
was as good a time as any. After measuring the crown and size of several wagon roofs, I decided that
a Volvo V70 roof has about the right amount of crown to it.
So, out with a bunch of extention cords and the 9" angle grinder and off we go. The rear hatch was
gone, and I was allowed to smash the rear side windows, so it was easy work. The Volvo side curtain
air bags are inside the roof, so I didn't even go close to them with the cut off wheel.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick149f.jpg)
The Volvo has a Saab 96 hood on it, which gives it all an odd look.
When at home, still in the trailer, the flat part of the roof was cut out, leaving just the
frame to keep its shape.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick149e.jpg)
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I was a bit concerned that the roof would be too bulbuous, but it ended up being
about exactly what I was looking for.
The Volvo V70 is a bit rounder in the front, so the roof is now sitting backwards,
as this works very well.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick149a.jpg)
Only in the rearmost corners, can you see a bit of daylight from the inside. You can
probably see that the corners don't lay exactly flat in the pic below.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick149b.jpg)
The new roof is about 2-1/2" too wide, and I beleive, as I cut it down, that the corners will lay down pretty much perfect.
It looks great so far, I just hope I won't mess it up, I have never welded a roof before.
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That is really cool how close it is to perfect! Good choice.
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Go slow on the welding and go to different spots when welding..keep heat to minimum .... I took 2.5 days to weld mine in..paid off in the end.. Happy welding😁😁
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Lookin' good! That was a good choice to fill the top.
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Thats a great fitting top. take your time and stagger your spot welds keep heat to a minimum
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That roof looks as good as you could get! Nice work.
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Essex, nice fab work! I like that your building what you want/need and using what is availible in your area. Always liked those early sedans. That eara seemed close to the same, regaurdless of make other than minor body details and grill shell.
Again, nice fab work. Top fits nice too.
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Thank you all for your supporting comments, they keep my mood up for sure :)
62131, Yes, it will be about 238.5 inches of weld, so staggering won't be an issue.
FATnLOW welding will be days. I've counted 12 seconds per weld with cooling,
so that would be over five hours continuous welding. Scary thought.
Yes sammons, you got to take what you have. Around here junked American cars
are very unusual, so a Volvo roof makes sense. Also, about the latetwenties cars looking
the same all of them, but I have to say, the Buick is huge compared to a Model A Tudor.
The frame is all but ready, so next the body is going back on.
After some measuring and cutting the body bracing, The body could be hoisted onto the
frame.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick150d.jpg)
Engine hoist and a helping hand from the wife did the trick, so there it is.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick150.jpg)
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Great progress! Thanks for sharing.
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Wow that looks great! Nice to have the wife lend a helping hand!
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Wow that really looks great
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If you don't have 4 or 5 guys to help with the body ..you have to think out of the box...I remember using my hoist to mount several bodies '38 Chevy ,'28 model A and '40 Ford P/U....good looking work and ur project is moving along nicely
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Doing things alone is often hard & dangerous. Last week I had to take a poorly chopped '50 pickup cab from a frame a guy from Washington is coming to get for a project. I was able to wrap/pad the pallet forks on my tractor bucket and go through the missing back window to lift & move it to a pallet. Still kind of dicey on my hillside when you get any weight very far off the ground. I damage must be done I always try to sacrifice the parts & safe myself. It's 2 miles to where the ambulance could get. :o
That big sedan in looking good!
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Thank you all once again! Yes, TFoch, it's always nice to get the wife involved.
In my experience she'll care more about the car later :)
You're right, FATnLOW. The last time I built a hot rod, I had a bunch of
18-20 year olds who came to help me when I needed it. It has its perks to drive a school bus.
Oooff... Wow, sixball, better play it safe in your case! and yes, it's always better to
sacrifice some car parts and save one's own bodyparts!
When the body sat on the frame I noticed that the engine now sits quite a bit farther
back than I had originally planned. This is because the steering took up way more estate than
I had figured.
When viewed from the side, the problem is obvious. The aesthetical balance is way off, as the
engine sits so far from the grille shell and all the way into the fire wall.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick150a.jpg)
On closer inspection, the problem seems pretty minor, but it gets worse. The body needs to
get moved forward another 1-1/2".
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick150b.jpg)
So now I decided to remove the whole firewall. It features a pretty big bead, that makes the
whole firewall protrude about an extra inch. I figure, if I turn the firewall backwards, I'll gain
two inches of space. To add to that, I'm going to move the firewall back another 5/8", filling
it out with some 5/8" U-profile.
Now the task at hand is to get the firewall out of the cowl.
Someone in Flint, Michigan, has seemingly liked the spotwelder a lot. So lots of drilling and
chiselling still ahead.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick150c.jpg)
Some of the bad optical balance will be there still, but it will look better if the engine seems to at least fit properly. And the Grille shell will look thicker with a radiator, maybe a shroud and a fan too. Might be acceptable in the end
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Will you run a hood? Is the length stock from the cowl to the radiator shell?
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Essex, your body balance seems fine to me. But...I like an engine setback for a better balance in weight and a long nose. You do need more firewall clearence to the engine. Your on the right track with firewall only setback.
I really got creative on my firewall on my coupe. Was going for a 50/50 bias on weight, so pushed motor back and modified firewall to fit my needs. Made sure i could get to all the bolts easy and room to put a monster motor if i chose to in the future. I try to think ahead for other mods i might want later, I'm weird that way. 😁
Great work you got going on there!
My goofy firewall.
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Yes, sixball, I might run a hood top, no sides, as I plan on making the exhaust primaries go over
and outside the frame. The air cleaners probably won't fit under the hood, so there's a good chance I'll
never run a hood anyway. The hood length is supposed to be stock, but I haven't actually checked lately
how close I am.
Because the frame is bent up about 15" behind the firewall, the body sits almost 1/2" too high in the front.
This will be fixed as soon as the firewall gets welded back in and everything gets adjusted properly.
sammons, your firewall looks good to me. Nice bodywork and a uniform color does wonders too.
I'm not a fan of new, homemade simple firewalls with a couple bead rolls, that's why I desperately want
to use the stock firewall hoping it won't look too obviously altered and customized.
On my Essex I got 60% weight on the rear wheels. The little Rover3500/Buick215 aluminum engine and
Borg-Warner T35 transmission helped doing that. No way to do a burn out with that one, as the car just
wouldn't stay still when the brakes were applied, it just slid away with the front tires skidding. That little
engine was so underwhelming in the power department, though. Luckily it had a nice soundtrack, almost
like a nail head.
Building a (especially a non Ford) hot rod makes one plan a head anyway. and sometimes I too plan for
mods I might do in the future. Don't worry, we're probably all weird in all kinds of ways :)
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After a lot of drilling, and a bit of work with both the air chisel and he manual one, the
firewall was out.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151.jpg)
The ignition coil is a Mallory one. I assume it's stock and original to this car, at least it looks old. Mallory
sounds like speed parts to me, though.
Probably not a bad idea to have the coli inside the car. I think coils are a technical part that look good
showing in the engine bay, so I'll probably mount mine on the outide of the firewall or on the intake
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151a.jpg)
Now I got to move the body forward to where it will sit. As I was afraid, just flipping the
firewall is not enough. A 13/16" U-profile between the front of the cowl and the firewall
will do the trick.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151c.jpg)
This is how the firewall looked before cutting it out. The black mark on the right side shows
how I plan to reshape the recessed "panel" which of course will be proud of the firewall
when it is flipped. This shape will leave more room at the valve cover and cylinder head.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151b.jpg)
Here's a pic of the first try at making a new corner for the protruding panel. three more corners to go.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151d.jpg)
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That's some nice work there, and well worth the time and trouble.
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Nice progress!
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Thank youTFoch and chopper526. Yes, it's worth a bit of work to get the firewall to look
decent. It's going to show on a hoodless car, so a it's pretty important part of the overall look.
I continued with the second corner, to the left in the pic below, and then the straight part. It's
a bit of a jigsaw, but making a big panel and getting all the angles to match...
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151e.jpg)
It's fun to work with thick sheetmetal, you can grind it till it look good. 14 and 16 ga sheet
metal here.
With the firewall in place the angle matches the cylinder head reasonably well. The only problem
now is there's not enough room between the firewall and the cylinderhead yet. Still zero space.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151g.jpg)
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How about using square 1/2 tubing between the firewall and the body? It would push the firewall back 1/2" and give a 1/2" lip all the way around. You biggest problem would be getting the square tube to make the radius. the worst you would need to do is pie cut the corners.
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That's almost what I meant chopper526,The U-profile I was talking about is like a
square tubing without one side. After some measuring and trying, though, I decided to
move the firewall an inch backward to get enough clearance between it and the cylinderheads.
The firewall looks much better now, and it still looks factory.
(https://grillo.fi/desoto/buick151f.jpg)
There's still a bunch of holes to fill, but I got ahead of myself, and started working on the
spacer. I cut some 1" tubing in half and started bending and working what now in effect is
a U-profile.
(https://grillo.fi/desoto/buick151h.jpg)
As the corners can't be bent just like that, I cut away part of the "side wall" of the U and
filled in with some sheetmetal. I left it a bit over size, to get good welds in the corners.
The firewall will be rosette welded in using the 1/4" holes that were drilled through the
spot welds to get it out in the first place.
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That looks good. You do good work.
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That's almost what I meant chopper526,The U-profile I was talking about is like a
square tubing without one side. After some measuring and trying, though, I decided to
move the firewall an inch backward to get enough clearance between it and the cylinderheads.
The firewall looks much better now, and it still looks factory.
(https://grillo.fi/desoto/buick151f.jpg)
There's still a bunch of holes to fill, but I got ahead of myself, and started working on the
spacer. I cut some 1" tubing in half and started bending and working what now in effect is
a U-profile.
(https://grillo.fi/desoto/buick151h.jpg)
As the corners can't be bent just like that, I cut away part of the "side wall" of the U and
filled in with some sheetmetal. I left it a bit over size, to get good welds in the corners.
The firewall will be rosette welded in using the 1/4" holes that were drilled through the
spot welds to get it out in the first place.
I gotcha. That looks real good. It's gonna be nice.
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Actually, chopper526, I had to scrap that square tube I cut in half. It's too
narrow, so I decided to make a new version, and this time I made it out of the
whole tube. I have a home made tube roller, so I can bend tubing slightly. I have
all three parts (top and sides) bent and ready, and think I might be able to
salvage the corner bends from the spacer that I already made.
Oh, the reason for it being too narrow, is because a lot of the holes from drilling
out the spot welds get beside the spacer thingy entirely, and in that case I wouldn't
be able to weld the rosette welds as planned. One step forward, and one step back....
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A bit of a busy period, so not much time to spend in the garage.
The tubes I decided to make the spacer out of are bent and ready
to go, and last night I got the first corner bend fitted with just a
couple tacks.
Looks like this might work, so I'll continue with the other bend as
soon as I can.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151i.jpg)
The simple tubing bender I have has been of so much use on this
project. I would strongly recommend buidling one, before tackling
a wood removel project like this one. Maybe I should post a pic of
it some day.
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That is going to work perfectly! When I did my '32 I didn't have a tubing bender, it was a series of pie cuts and welds. Time consuming but it worked.
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Looks good, I wish I had skills.
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The bent tubing looks great
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Thank you all, chopper526, sixball and 62131. I'm pleased with the result so far, other than it's
taking way too long to get done!
The bent tube you may be referring to, is the corner piece. It is built from three pieces of sheetmetal, sorry
about the confusion. The bent tubes that I have rolled, and talked about in my last post, are the ones that
are almost straight, going along the top and the sides of the cowl. The tube roller has been surprisingly
useful doing just that; bending tubes to a slight curve, so that they fit exactly along the roof line and whatnot.
I finally got the firewall welded and ground today. "Finally"... I have to decide what to do with the bootom edge
still, so it's not exactly done yet.
The radiator stay mounts are turned back and welded in now too, and all holes filled.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151k.jpg)
This is what it looks like when I rosette weld the spot wolds with mig. The holes are 1/4" and the mig is turned
up pretty high, to get nice penetrating welds that are fairly flat.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151j.jpg)
After grinding the spotwelds the new spacer and the front edge of the cowl got a coat of red primer.
The firewall is just stood inside the cowl in this pic. It's a bit low, but otherwise in about the right place.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151l.jpg)
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That looks great, just the way I would have done it......just not as good. ;D
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That turned out really good, looks great
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Looks awesome! Nice work!
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This is quality & attention to detail the will be missed by most people who see it. Thanks for showing us how you are doing it. As for time, My roadster project is probably 30 years old and I have far less to show. :(
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Sorry chopper526, that I'm not up to your standards, but I do my best, I promise ;D
Thank you for the kind words, 62131, TFoch and sixball. Comments are much appreciated.
Finally (again?) got the firewall done! I'm not certain about how the bottom edge needs to be done, because
I don't know how to route the hoses and tubes to the heater, but I decided to do things this way, and if
needed I'll make the necessary modifications later. One can't leave everything half-assed and almost-ready.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151m.jpg)
So now I have someting to weld to the cowl, and to start building my floor and transmission tunnel off.
The little impression or stamping a bit off center just above where the top of the transmission tunnel
will be, is for the heater return hose, behind the intake. Like this:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151n.jpg)
Room for a hose clamp and all now.
The stamped sheet metal is from an earlier experiment, when I made a peak for the sun visor. The
"tooling" is made from 5mm sheet metal, a tad more than 3/16" thick.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick095.jpg)
The stamped part was cut in half and the halves were welded together. Fun to find use for a part
that wasn't used.
Here's the peak I made for the visor. Quite a segway, sorry about that, it just happened.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick104.jpg)
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Sorry chopper526, that I'm not up to your standards, but I do my best, I promise ;D
Thank you for the kind words, 62131, TFoch and sixball. Comments are much appreciated.
Finally (again?) got the firewall done! I'm not certain about how the bottom edge needs to be done, because
I don't know how to route the hoses and tubes to the heater, but I decided to do things this way, and if
needed I'll make the necessary modifications later. One can't leave everything half-assed and almost-ready.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151m.jpg)
So now I have someting to weld to the cowl, and to start building my floor and transmission tunnel off.
The little impression or stamping a bit off center just above where the top of the transmission tunnel
will be, is for the heater return hose, behind the intake. Like this:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151n.jpg)
Room for a hose clamp and all now.
The stamped sheet metal is from an earlier experiment, when I made a peak for the sun visor. The
"tooling" is made from 5mm sheet metal, a tad more than 3/16" thick.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick095.jpg)
The stamped part was cut in half and the halves were welded together. Fun to find use for a part
that wasn't used.
Here's the peak I made for the visor. Quite a segway, sorry about that, it just happened.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick104.jpg)
Haha, you read that wrong, Essex_29. I was saying I would have done it the same way as you did, I just wouldn't have done as good a job as you did!! By the way, that visor turned out sweet.
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Very nice work!
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Visor turned out great, nice work
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Love the visor!
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Thank you all for the positive comments!
Fun thing with the visor: Inside a week of my getting it done, a friend sent a pic of a 1929 Oldsmobile for sale, and asked if I was interested. It had a very similar shape in the center. I thought I had a totally original idea.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/oldsV.jpg)
(Sorry for steaing this pic off the net)
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Finally! (for the third time) the firewall is done.
Since the frame is bent up a foot or so behid the firewall (to make the front suspension work good at my planned ride height), I had to cut some off the bottom edge of the firewall so it won't touch the frame. Then a squirt of primer to keep it from rusting.
Hoping to have time to weld it in still today. It will be welded with rosette welds to the back side of the 1" spacer tube.
Nothing short of amazing what some paint can do.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151o.jpg)
I think I will have the firewall done a 4th time today. Maybe.
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Not to be disrespectful in any way, but that crescent was used a lot, Chevrolet used it on the 32 fenders
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Finally! (for the third time) the firewall is done.
Since the frame is bent up a foot or so behid the firewall (to make the front suspension work good at my planned ride height), I had to cut some off the bottom edge of the firewall so it won't touch the frame. Then a squirt of primer to keep it from rusting.
Hoping to have time to weld it in still today. It will be welded with rosette welds to the back side of the 1" spacer tube.
Nothing short of amazing what some paint can do.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick151o.jpg)
I think I will have the firewall done a 4th time today. Maybe.
I think that looks real nice, and yes you are right, what a little paint can do. Great job!
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Looking good!
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Thank yuou chopper526 and sammons!
No disrespectfuless percieved, 62131. I have seen those shapes on fenders
and such, but never happened to see it on a visor. And to be frank, I never connected
the two designs as they are on different parts of the body, and alos turned the other
way around. Nevermind that, it's just that when one thinks of a nice original design
idea, it then suddenly may become obvious that it's not a first.
I wanted to be a car designer when I was a kid, realizing early that it's not even a thing
here in Finland. Building a rod gives me opportunity to at least make alterations to the
look of the car. Only details and real small things on the body itself, but I am planning
on going wild with the dash for an example. But then again, that depends on how
much (if any) energy is left when that time comes.
The firewall is finally welded to the cowl, so one thing ticked off the 2 do-list
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It has all been thought of. If it was a good idea it was used. :o Your is a good one. Being different just to be different is usually not a good idea. ;D
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Thank yuou chopper526 and sammons!
No disrespectfuless percieved, 62131. I have seen those shapes on fenders
and such, but never happened to see it on a visor. And to be frank, I never connected
the two designs as they are on different parts of the body, and alos turned the other
way around. Nevermind that, it's just that when one thinks of a nice original design
idea, it then suddenly may become obvious that it's not a first.
I wanted to be a car designer when I was a kid, realizing early that it's not even a thing
here in Finland. Building a rod gives me opportunity to at least make alterations to the
look of the car. Only details and real small things on the body itself, but I am planning
on going wild with the dash for an example. But then again, that depends on how
much (if any) energy is left when that time comes.
The firewall is finally welded to the cowl, so one thing ticked off the 2 do-list
Slow and steady Essex, and keep the creative juices flowing! You will have plenty of energy to get the car done exactly the way you want it..including the dash ;)
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True, sixball If the thing is any good, it's probably not a new idea.
I'm not sure I'm entirely with you on the different to be different thinking: My car is a
'57 Pontiac, because a Chevy is too common. It's the first classic American car
that people learn to recognize. My project car is a Buick sedan, because everyone
and their aunt has Ford rods with small block Chevies in them. I like different.
Hoping to keep the energy flowingchopper526
The other day I happened to find a prop shaft for sale here in the very
village I live in. it's from a Dodge Ram, and it's the front prop shaft. Since my
transmission (6-speed manual) has a flange rather than a slip joint, a front
drive shaft seemed like a good idea.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick152.jpg)
The prop shaft needs to be lengthened about 4" in the right end in the pic, and
the yoke will be taken from the Chevy Caprice prop shaft in the inset pic. The
rear axle in my Buick is off of an S10, do same universal joint. This is left to a
fabricator now.
Today my good rod building buddy helped me get the body straight and square
on the frame, side ways and length wise. The body was then clamped down, so
that it wouldn't move. Removing one clamp at a time, bolt holes could be drilled.
I'm planning to get six of these done:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick153.jpg)
Body mount thingies to weld into the cross braces that connects the body to
the frame.
They will mount like this: (http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick153a.jpg)
and they'll be welded to the top of the tubing. Hoping to be able get someone
persuaded to turn them for me. A lathe is on my wishlist, just gots to send it to Santa.
Two of those tubes are cut for the transmission and prop shaft tunnel, and
need to be reconnected to get back som of their stiffness.
I bent one of those connector pieces tonight, and it goes on top of the
transmission, right between the A-pillars.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick154.jpg)
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Great work & excellent drawings!
I don't know how the explain my feelings on being different just to be different but to has nothing to do with your build which I see as a quality build using unusual components in a very usual way. It on its own will stand out from the crowd. You won't have to do anything to draw attention to it.
All of those Ford hot rods can all look the same and in fact the more they look alike the more "right" they are. When someone does something just to be different, something no one has ever thought of or done before something eye-catching and unusual they usually do not improve their car.
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Thanks again, sixball. I guess I know what you mean. A fine line between different in a positive sense,
and different in a tacky way, I guess. Like, Saab Aero three spoke wheels might not be a good choice on a
hot rod, even if different can be good.
The bent crossmember connector (actually built from 1/8" thick sheetmetal) was welded in today,
after adding flanges to it. The trans tunnel will be welded to those flanges. The tunnel will be pretty
tight, as I'm going to have to squeeze in three pedals. There's about three eights of room around the
transmission in every direction.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick154a.jpg)
My technical drawings didn't amount to much. I started thinking that it was all too much hassle to
make someone turn the parts, and wait for them and also to pay for the work. Yes I'm cheap. and
want to continue when I'm up to speed. I found a piece of water pipe among the junk under my
bench, and cut pieces from it. Then turned thick washers to the right size, using an epectric drill
in the vice, and a grinder to turn them to a suitable size. Welder to zap the washers in and: Voila!
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick153b.jpg)
I cut a hole in the crossmember with the plasma, insertred the body mount, welded and ground.
I left out some adjustment grinding and such, but in any case, the end result is what I wanted; a
flush bolt head that can be reached with a socket.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick153c.jpg)
If you look at the bolt head, you may notice that the markings are ground off of the bolt head.
I dislike using mertric hardware on my rod builds, and this is an M12 bolt. A 3/4" socket fits
perfectly, so I used one, and now even the bolt doesn't know it's metric anymore!
Imperial hardware is not easy to come by, especially if you want a particular size or lenght,
also not cheap. I always have a stash of bolts for my car builds, but no 1/2" bolts, so....
Well, that's my excuse. ::)
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Body mounts turned out great, with very little cost. even better
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They turned out real nice, you do some good work.
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Thank you 62131 and chopper526
Life happens at times, so not much has happened in the garage lately,
mostly more of the same.
More turning down washers to fit inside pipes. The electric drill working
against the side grinder.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick154d.jpg)
More pieces of pipe cut...
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick154c.jpg)
And more body mounts done between the A-pillars, as my phone generated arrows show here.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick154b.jpg)
Finally something fun: I always felt that the frame looks too long in the back,
and have been planning to shorten it a few inches. I cut it off to get to put
nuts on the rearmost body mount bolts inside the frame, and am very glad
that I have plenty of time to plan for the look of the rear of the frame and body.
At the very least, I have planned to extend the body two or three inches
downward, to get better proportions, and maybe shorren the frame horns a
bit and maybe move it down some.
We'll see.
For now I think it looks nice
and stubby without the rear part of the frame, but I think some kind of tank
under the frame would look good.
Suggestions are welcome.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick155.jpg)
Oh, and I am going to run fenders and runningboards.
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The car looks great with the frame shortened, but presents the new dilemma of where to put the tank. Passenger side along the frame rail?
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Rear part of the car looking good!
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Use the area under the rear frame rails to mount your fuel tank as intended, I know it's not the ideal spot, for the look you want, but it's better than in the cabin
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Great work, good eye!
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chopper526, I've been thinking of actually putting the tank inside the car, standing
against the rear of the body. A cool tank filler in the center, right under the rear window
would look good. But, it's not ideal.
TFoch, thank you. I like it, but I still think it might look odd with nothing back there...
62131, I have been planning on that too, a tank where it should be, but with the frame
modified. I'd prefer at least a 20 gallon tank, so I have to do some maths to see if it is even
possible to fit such a tank behind the rear axle.
sixball, I'm faking it *grins* I don't know what to do about this yet.
Maybe something like this:
(http://waasadata.com/buick/frame2.jpg)
The frame lowered, by welding the stub under the frame itself, continuing the body
downward 3" so the cut off frame doesn't show.
Then the tank under the shortened frame.
Photoshop is a nice tool, when you're planning modifications. Sometimes it shows
what works, and most of the time it shows what doesn't.
Thank you for the input!
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My 1929 Essex Super Six had its tank in the rear, and it didn't look too bad. But
then again, it had leaf springs, so there was an actual reason for the rear of the
frame to be there to begin with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlzcoAzaIc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYlzcoAzaIc)
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I left the apron on my '32 Chevy. I would have liked to gotten rid of it but then I would have had to put my tank in the trunk and I didn't want that. Plus I would have had to change the springs. I had a '38 Plymouth p/u with the tank along the inside of the frame rail, similar to new trucks.
Incidentally, the rear behind my coupe is a '57 Chevy posi rear with 3:55 gears that I picked up last weekend. My car has 4:56 gears in it now. I am going to do a quick pumpkin swap and see if it is a little more highway friendly.
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I used a tank from Tank Inc. 16 gal. had to modify for the electric fuel pump
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I put up a video on youtube today. It's just like a slide show, and shows a bunch of pics from my project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HwOQ3jq8U (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HwOQ3jq8U)
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/P22.jpg)
Me fuelling up the Caprice wagon on my way home with the project car late summer 2019
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Such skills! Great work!
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Nice video, good work.
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Nice video. that's one thing I didn't do is take a lot of pictures of my build wish I had of
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Great stuff..you're motivating me to work on my old cars!
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That looks great, what a transformation!
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Thank you Sixball, sammons, 62131, EDNY, chopper526, all for the nice words!
Yes, I take a lot of pictures, they're very nice to have, when you start feeling that you
haven't gotten anything done to the current project. That feeling comes sometime
during every project of mine, then to get my spirits up again, those pics come in handy.
I had a very unproductive week or two, and finally today, I got to work with the roof.
Originally I had planned to make the roof out of wood, like I did on my Essex, but
somewhere along the way I changed my mind, and went for a steel roof instead.
Since I have made a steel structure from 5/8" square tubing
along the edges of the existing roof... edges(?) - dont
know what to call them - I can't hammer any welds where I'd have to weld. A friend
who has worked at Volvo in Sweden in collision repair, told me, they glued the roofs
on Volvo V70s. The originally roller welded roof was chiselled and ground away, and
the new roof was tacked in a few spots in the front, and then glued. I have a
Volvo roof, so why not?
The roof is some 4" too narrow, so the edges get a pretty pronounced grown, or
down turn if you will. Cutting it a bit more narrow will make it fit much better, but
then we're not left with any surface to glue to. This brings us to todays work. I cut
narrow 1-1/2"strips of 19 gauge sheet metal, and rolled
an edge to some of them in the bead roller.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156.jpg)
The front strip is tacked to the front of the roof, over the windshield. and the
bead rolled strip along the side, is held on with various clamps.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156a.jpg)
Here the side strip is welded and ground. As the glue will cover the edge, I
decided that it wasn't necessary to finish weld this, just tack it fairly heavily.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156b.jpg)
Top view. The strips will make for a nice surface for the adhesive to
adhere to.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156c.jpg)
A problem area is the rear of the roof, with its lead and all that. I made some
corner parts to ensure good amounts of surface here too.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156d.jpg)
After welding and grinding this is what it looks like. It will be very interesting
to get the roof fastened to the body.
With any luck I will get the roof sheet lifted off the body, laid upside down
tomorrow, so that I can cut it to size and grind the edges to achieve the
optimal surface for the adhesive. Then back onto the body to see what
the final fit is like. One will just have to hope the crown the roof has, fits
the body when it's back on.
-
I used panel adhesive on my header panels above my doors as there was very little to weld to. Make sure it's where you want it before it sets as there's no removing it.
-
Thank you 62131 for the advice.
I have never done any work like this, but I have a friend who's been
working with collision repair for several years and he has promised to
come do the adhesive thing with me, so I have hopes for it
working out okay.
Today me, my wife and a friend lifted the roof sheet upside down on a
makeshift table. It's so flimsy, you probably can't lift it at all without
being three people, six hands holding it. It wants to fold, there's so
little crown in the panel.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156e.jpg)
Now it's cut to size and the paint is ground off where the adhesive will
go. Now I have to get some help lifiting it back onto the body again, for
a test fit. Then back off again a few times, I guess.
-
I got some help today, so the roof was lifted back up on the body. As I guessed, it needed a
few tweaks to fit. Also the sheet metal strips needed hammering and adjusting to make for
a good fit against the roof sheet.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156f.jpg)
As can be seen in this pic, the crown and the shape of the roof is just perfect. I coudn't
have asked for a better fitting roof, I got real lucky.
As the mounts for the aprons are easiest to make before the floor goes in, I cut eight
pieces of 1/8" sheetmetal and drilled a hole in each to make apron mounts. I intend
to mount the aprons on the side of the frame, insted of sandwiched between the
frame and the body, as per original.
I had gotten concerned about the whole car being too tall, it's 67" after all, but the
running boards are right about 4" off the ground in the front end, so I think that
will look good for a normal ride height.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/Buick_10.22.jpg)
Lots of work with those aprons and fenders...
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The roof looks great, the apron height is perfect in my opinion
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Nice work on the roof, looks great! Judging by where the running boards are the car should sit just right!
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That roof turned out real nice, good job.
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Thank you for the positive opinions regarding the height of the apron, 62131 and
TFoch. It's almost impossible to really get a good feel for what it looks like in a pic,
but I think it looks okay, and as planned it's fairly low in the front and the rake is
"noticeable" at 3 degrees.
You too chopper526, the roof looks good right now, but it's too early to see how
it really turns out. Still have the adhesive thing to do... Both exciting and a bit nerve wrecking.
While I would have gotten the adhesive last monday, I cheaped out and started
looking for other possibilities than 3M's glue. I decided that I need two packs of the
glue, and it's pretty expensive, so I thought I'd go with some cheaper stuff. I couldn't
get hold of any locally, so now waiting for the 3M adhesive I ordered anyway a few days ago (deliveries
on mondays only with free freight), I continued with the aprons. I've been planning those,
some, and got to work, making mounts for them.
I started by cutting and drilling eight mounts from 1/8" thick
sheetmetal. I'm going to mount the aprons to the side of the frame, instead of
sandwiching them bethween the frame and the body as per original.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157c.jpg)
I bought two 2 meter long sticks of 1-3/16" angle iron, cut them to
length and drilled four holes in each. Then bolted the new parts together.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157a.jpg)
Finally I welded the mounts to the top of the frame (outlined in red).
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157b.jpg)
The new aprons will be drilled and then sandwiched between the mounts and the
angle irons. Then the 5/16UNC nuts will be w elded to the
mounts, as there will be no way to get to those once the floor is welded in.
Well, short of lifting the body off the frame, that is.
Luck struck again, as I will be able to use the aprons I made for the Essex in 2007!
I made them before deciding to go fenderless. I did not expect them to be long enough,
because I felt that the Essex was smaller.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157.jpg)
The aprons are plenty long enough, and I'm very happy to be able to use them, as they've been
using space for half an eternity, and they were a chore to make.
I made a hammerform from a wooden plank, 8" x 2", and shaped it by hand with saws and
planes and whatnot. Then hammered the sheetmetal to submission. Even 19 gauge sheet metal takes
some persuation to bend when it's as long as the aprons
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Nice work on that apron, I would have thought you bought it. I think you made a wise choice going with the 3M adhesive, it might cost a little more but could be the best choice in the long run.
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the apron you made looks factory, I'm sure its better than the original
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Nice fit on the top insert, hope she bonds down good for you.
Those side aprons look great, nice work. Glad they will be long enough to trim down for you.
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Thank you once again for the positives, Chopper526, 62131 and sammons
The roof insert was bonded and adhered to the body last night.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156g.jpg)
Looks mostly the same as before, but it feels much better now, just
knowing it's done.
Glue gun used looks like this:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick156h.jpg)
The gun was quite a "handful" so a good thing there were two of us. One person
would have had under arms like Popeye today. Dang, it had to be squeezed hard!
Anyway, there it is, things looking like it all worked out good.
I had to bump up the heat in the garage to about 70, which now, with the situation
here with 325% increase in electric power prises... Oh well, I'll turn it back down when
I'm satisfied that it's thoroughly set. Setting time is supposed to be around
4 hours, but I'll go for 24 hours to be sure. Normally in wintertime I have a
bit below 50 degres in the garage, which suits me well, but isn't ideal for 2 K
adhesives, paints and epoxies to cure.
Annoying as it is, I worked a bit "too much" in 2007 on the driver's side apron, so
I have to widen the top surface about two inches at the back. Luckily this will be
under the body, so a simple to weld lap joint will do. The lap joint was rolled in a bead roller.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157d.jpg)
Also this week I received the new tires I ordered on sunday. I always felt a bit
disappointed at the size of those Cooper Cobra 275/60-15s, so I odered
a pair of 285/70-15s. They're significantly higher, the size is perfect.
I don't really like that modern thread pattern, but these tires cost less than a third
of pair of BFGs.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick158.jpg)
I'm sure these will look suitably big on the 11" wide slot mags I have in store for them.
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Looking great! Glad the adhesive worked for you and you got your workout for the day!
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Looks like your adhesive went on well, the insert looks good, I like the tread pattern on the tires they willl not hold pepples very well
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Thanks TFoch, It workded out good, but I was a bit anxious
as it took waay long to get the glue out, and I was afraid of it going
off too soon.
No 62131, stones big enough to stick in those tire threads will
be thrown off immediately.
The roof looks good still, and the adhesive is completely cured.
I got the new tires mounted on the slot mags a couple hours ago,
and I'm really stoked. I like how it looks now better than before.
It looks more compact.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick158a.jpg)
You might notice the stands under the frame. It's still all bolted to
the floor, so the frame and body are rigidly mounted to a fixed
height. I just lifted the axles some to accomodate the bigger wheels.
By the way, those 9" wide front and 11" wide rear mags are off of a DeTomaso Pantera, that a friend of mine
modernized with big inch rims.
The way I roll is on 15" wheels.
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That looks Killer! I like the 15" wheels too! Keep working at it!
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I run 15's on my 32, but 16's or 17" on the rear would have probably worked better as I had to run a really tall tire to get the look I wanted with fenders
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Those wheels/tires are sweet. 8)
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You are moving along pretty quickly, and it's looking great. Big fan of those wheels.
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Essex your sedan is looking great, nice work! Nerve racking worrying about a large area like that starting to set off before your ready. Kinda like bonding a complete front clip on an old Vette😁 Those bonding glues are hard to dispense. I developed those "Popeye" fore arms from holding a paint gun 5 days a werk for decades, and really got sore sqeezing the old windshield urethane.
Those aluminum slot wheels were always my go to, Craigars were ok but the chrome never stayed on the centers. I put Cooper Cobras on my coupe, 295/50-15 rear and 235/60-15 front. Just wish the letters were smaller. I always thought the tread pattern had a bit of a dirt track tread, which i like for mine.
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Thanks TFoch!
62131, I like tall tires and the classic look that goes with them,
but it's all a matter of taste.
Rattiac, chopper526 and sammons, even the modern
thread pattern doesn't bug me too much anymore, since I think it
looks so much better with the slot mags and tall tires. I like
widened steelies a lot, but the mags are a win this time.
Aprons on the to do list today. I have the driver's side one
done for now. In time I'll continue working on them when it's time
to get them to work with the running boards and fenders. Right
hand side apron is cut and ready and all parts made, but the
mounts still have to be welded to the frame and the apron
itself mated to the mounts.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick157e.jpg)
Also started working on some small gussets for the B-pillars. So, looking
forward to start making the floors now. I have no idea how I will do the
bead rolling in the floors. Hoping to get an unusual idea, for a bead
pattern or something, but still no fun ideas...
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Essex_29 Happy Birthday!
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Essex_29 Happy Birthday hope you had a great day
-
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Thank you So much!
Yes I had a great day, spent most of it in the garage too 8)
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Happy Birthday Essex_29! Keep at it!
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Happy Belated Birthday, buddy!!
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Thanks again to you all!
Spending a lot of my energy nomming birthday goodies today, there wasn't
much energy left for work on the Buick. I got some work done on the right
hand side apron, though, the mounts are welded to the frame. Mounting
holes still have to be drilled in the apron, so not done yet.
Gussets at the bottom of the B-pillars are finished.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick159.jpg)
They aren't very big, but I hope they'll help stabilize the center of the body
a little bit. Also welded in were the small pieces of sheetmetal shelving
around the gussets that the floor will lay on and be spot welded to.
The gussets came out pretty small and tidy, and I hope they won't be too
much in the way for someone trying to get into the back seat.
-
Finally got a good day's work done, even if it's just a normal tuesday.
The final four body mounts are done now.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick159a.jpg)
I realized that the K-member is at the same height as the frame rails, so the
body brace would probably start rattling at some point if it's not bolted
down here properly. The last two already made flushmounts were welded
in (foreground in the left pic).
The right pic shows one of the the rear most body mounts, and as it's at
the rear corner of the body, the bolt head doesn't need to be flush. Instead
I just welded in a short bit of 1/8" wall tubing with 1/2"
inner diameter, so the body frame/brace won't get crushed.
When all this was done the bracing inside the body could be cut out.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick159b.jpg)
So now the body is almost ready for the floor, and I'm looking forward to
that. Actually, there's a few things...
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That turned out really good, looking great! But, could you not have taken about 1/4" off the top of the crossmember?
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Sorry chopper526, I don't know what you mean, cutting 1/4" of the top of
what crossmember?
If you meant where I put two more bolts to keep things from rattling, so yes, I
guess I could have, but it doesn't hurt to have the body fastened to the frame
in a couple more spots. My wife will no doubt ask me to put in seat belts, and
they would probably be fastened in that general area in that case.
Right there in the center of the floor, there will be a little but sturdy bent piece
bridging the body brace over the prop shaft tunnel. I'm hoping to get back
the prop shaft before making the trans tunnel, just to be completely certain
that it's made high enough.
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Looking good Essex_29!
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Sorry chopper526, I don't know what you mean, cutting 1/4" of the top of
what crossmember?
If you meant where I put two more bolts to keep things from rattling, so yes, I
guess I could have, but it doesn't hurt to have the body fastened to the frame
in a couple more spots. My wife will no doubt ask me to put in seat belts, and
they would probably be fastened in that general area in that case.
Right there in the center of the floor, there will be a little but sturdy bent piece
bridging the body brace over the prop shaft tunnel. I'm hoping to get back
the prop shaft before making the trans tunnel, just to be completely certain
that it's made high enough.
Yes, that is what I meant, but I am seeing better what you did. And, 100%, you have to put in seat belts!
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Yes chopper526, I'll put some belts in it for sure. I didn't have any in my
Essex, but all my later cars and builds have had them.
Not much done the last few days, saturday is usually my best day of the week,
but I had to be on a course all day, then the wife's car needed some attention...
The right hand side apron is done, though, so something. I also started
cleaning up some engine parts, they need to be painted sooner or later anyway.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick159c.jpg)
I lost half of the exhaust on my daily, so I have to address that very soon
too. Can't procrastrinate with everything indefinitely.
I played around a bit and tried the rear wheels in the front. It makes for
a very special look with 375/60-15 tires. I got inspired and did a kind
of a half assed concept to try the idea. Big tires all around, front half
fenders, rear fender faired into the running board, and pulled out in
a drop shape like an air plane landing geat spat. Front wing, and
probably a diffuser in the back.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buickr02.jpg)
Funny how low the roof looks, almost as it would be chopped an
inch or two.
I hate it when people put the year of the car as a racing number
on the door. So I'd have it at least one year off, just
to annoy people.
Photoshop is a great tool for trying out ideas, and to see if they
have any potential.
I met my machinist today, he'll hopefully get to re drilling my drive
shafts for five on 4-1/2" bolt circle soon,
so I can ge the wheels bolted to the axle.
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When I bought the slot mags I made this concept. This is kinda
what I have aimed at and gone towards all the time.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/Rod2021.jpg)
I will probably bob the rear fenders a bit, or shorten them (same thing?). The
engine in this pic is a lengthened nail head, which would be an awesome engine,
had it ever been produced.
This is probably pretty close to what I will do, with the addition of glossy
black, and maybe flames. I haven't painted flames in many years, and went
with sating black and scallops on the Essex.
(http://www.waasadata.com/essex/bild/15_19.jpg)
The "moon tank" in the front was kind of a novel idea, it is a shortened air
tank from a truck to which I welded a filler neck, cut up in an inconspicuous way.
I then made a tray for the battery in it.
I assume not many rods have the main battery switch under the moon tank.
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I like the concept picture, to me it sets great and just plain looks cooool 8)
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Not used to seeing a header with 6 tubes on one side! Very cool!
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Thank you 62131 It's fun to play with ideas for sure. And yes, TFoch, six header
tubes per side is a huge thing with this project.
Rust is also a thing, still, a few spots of that kind to attend to. The bottom
of the cowl area is a bit crusty, so that's best taken care of now, because the plan
is for the floor in the front to attach to the new part. There's like a little shelf on
the inside to rosette weld the floor to.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160d.jpg)
Here's the "before" and the new part welded in. Actually parts, because I couldn't
make it in one piece. Then ground:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160g.jpg)
I'm pretty pleased with the result, but it alos took me quite a few hours.
The other side is worse, rusted higher up the side, so a bigger
patch part is needed.
-
After taking a deep breath, I decided to make a whole new bottom part, bead and all. I don't have a bead
roller big enough for this kind of work, but got an idea, and cut out some 19 gauge sheet metal, then
made a bend in the break:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160.jpg)
I then bent the bend back, and it rolled over to about the right shape. I put a tube in the vice, and
rolled a round shape to it, just manhandling it:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160a.jpg)
Two inches longer and I probably wouldn't have gotten it bent.
Another break in about the right place. It was a bit tricky to get the break tight enough, and in
the end I had to make the last break just hammering it into submission.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160b.jpg)
Finally the little shelf for attaching the floor on the inside, was cut to a suitable width.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160c.jpg)
The end result looks similar enough to the original, so for now, it seems I can use this patch panel.
This is a situation, where I think it paid off to decide to make a fairly big patch, instead of cutting
just barely the worst rust out, and make like five small patches. We'll see.
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That turned out real nice and well worth however much time you put into it.
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Thank you for the nice words, chopper526
But:
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/W.jpg)
::)
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Your patch panels turned out nice. I was lucky I could buy all the quarter, rocker and cowl patch panels for my 32 Chevy. The only panel not available was the rear lower part of body. After looking at it awhile, I purchased two more quarter patch panels and welded them end to end to fabricate the rear panel.
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The 32 chevy patch panels look very close to what you made by the way
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Essex it's looking great, nice work.
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Great work. I'm afraid to grind my welds. They tend to disappear. :o
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Thank you 62131. I've never really had a car that I could get any patch panels for.
Except for the 1967 C30 that I got a brand new inner fender for. It was so thin, though,
so I dented it resting my elbow on it when I was working on the engine. Someone
ordered it super cheap from China for sure. I bought it from an American company, though.
Good thing you found some patch panels that suited your needs and could be used!
And you too, sammons and sixball. I try to avoid grinding off all my welds
too. At times I get a bit too enthusiastic, wanting things to look its best.
Shouldn't do that.
Anyway, the patch panel is welded in, and a couple smaller pieces added. luckily enough, I
had a pair of dies so I could make that thin vertical bead in my bead roller. The whole
thing looks a similar enough to the other side, so I called it good.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160e.jpg)
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Now that the rust in the cowl area is taken care of, work commences with things that have to be
done to get the floors in. Obviously the firewall has to be done first.
I cut out a piece of sheetmetal large enough to cover the opening in the firewall, leaving it
about 5/8" over size in all directions, and then made a carbdboard template
for the transmission bellhousing.
The sheet metal piece had one edge bent about 45o into a flange of sorts, to fit the
opening, and the bell housing hole was cut according to the template.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160f.jpg)
The opening for the transmission was cut pretty tight, as there's not too much space for
three pedals. A flange about 5/8" was bent bith a tipping die on my little bead
roller, and using the stretcher I got it pretty flat. Same thing around the sides, the same kind of
about 5/8" wide flanges.
Finally a bunch of holes were drilled in the flanges, and the whole ting was rosette
welded to the firewall.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick160h1.jpg)
Actually, the bottom flanges (red arrow) were bent before welding the panel to the firewall.
Now this new flange has to be connected with the one that is part of the patch
panel I made a few days ago. This is fun and straight forward work, much
more fun than patching rust holes.
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The firewall looks great, are you using any weld thru primmer where you're lapping the metal?
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Thank you for the nice words, chopper526
But:
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/W.jpg)
::)
That is me for sure!!! You, not really, you have some nice welds. I too used patch panels that I bought, I don't quite have the skills of tools to do what you did.
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No, I'm not using any primer, 62131, I don't like how it welds and how it smokes. Maybe
I have used bad primer. In any case, as this is a car that will be used in the summers only, I'm
not too concerned about rust. I think the whole car has always lacked any paint on the inside and
it has held up decently for 92 years or so. I'll wick in thinned epoxy into all weld seams when
that time comes. It probably won't help anything besides my conscience.
Thank you, chopper526 for the kind workds, but really, the only tools I used was a
sheet metal brake, a hammer and a piece of 1-7/8" tubing. I think my best tool is youtube.
I've learned lots from watching fabrication videos.
So, today it was time to finally start working on the floor, or more to the point, the
transmission tunnel. Some people claim to cut sheet metal wothout ever using any
paper templates, but some card board really made my day!
The sides along the transmission tunnel are bent to little shelves, or flanges, that the
floor will weld to. The floor pieces in the pic are just more paper patterns made
from thin cardboard.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161.jpg)
This is fun. Big pieces of sheet metal makes it feel like I get lots of work done.
-
Nice progress!
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Looks great! Yes, carboard templates are the way to go. You can test fit and make changes easy. Sure beats doing sheet metal at todays prices if you have a change for a better idea.
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Thank you TFoch, it's been a productive couple days. And (reading your signatiure
text) my grandkids aren't living close by, so I don't really build cars instead of having quality
time with them #just saying.
And yes, sammons, so easy to make cardboard templates, adjusting with scissors,
then adding with tape if needed. Make some changes, then adjust again. And when all is
good, trace onto sheet metal and Bob's your uncle.
Today I continued the shelf- or flange pieces around all the front floor, and that took me
forever. Sometimes I'm really surprised at how little I can get done in a few hours. That done
it was easy to adjust the template, and then to cut out the floor piece from sheet metal.
After a lunch break I did the same on the other side, trying to keep some kind of pace.
Pondering about how to make the rest of the transmission tunnel, I came to some kind
of conclusion, and could make the bracing for the center part of the floor/tunnel.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161b.jpg)
The one by one tubes along the trans tunnel are set down 40 thousands, as I will put a
brake in the tunnel and weld that on top of the tubes. Then weld the floor panels on top
of that. The braces that go from the midle of the door to the rear of the transmission, are
a bit diagonal like that just to make for a more interesting bead pattern in the floor, come that time.
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I continued making the drive's side middle floor panel. It's fun to make these big panels as it feels
you get something done as they show so well. The floor is a bit oversize in the door opening, since
I will have to make a piece that continues the bead along the bottom of the cowl and quarter
panel, and ties them together under the door. This whole thing has to follow the curvature of
the bottom of the door. Only one of these parts came with the car, and it is severely rusted, so
I have to try and make my own.
I just have to consider myself lucky to have something to work off and use as a pattern.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161c.jpg)
I mounted the driver's side door today, and surprisingly, it made the body look longer. The door
has been off for almost a year now, so it looks unfamiliar in a way.
Funny how the eyes get used to what you're working with.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick162.jpg)
I assumed the door would hover above the floor level, but with the floor panel sticking out
under the door, it won't shut. I guess I have to adjust my plans for the door sill/treshold some.
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A minor speed bump, you'll work it out no problem ;D
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Those big pieces fill a lot of space! I like the way it's turning out!
Tom
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A couple of stone mason friends helped me build a retaining wall here. They called the big flat rocks "acre makers". Visually it is sort of the same thing especially when we spend so much time on the little details.
There is some very nice work being done here.
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Your floor pans are looking great, you mentioned some bead roll work, that will really set them off
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I hope I will, chopper526.
Thank you, TFoch, they do. I used almost an entire 29"x78" 19 ga sheet the last couple
days (that would be 1 meter by 2 metesr by 1 millimeter in European speak).
I suck those words in like a sponge,sixball *grins* Yep, "acre makers", fits right in.
I got a nice little package in the mail. I finally got the wheel nuts and studs ordered, they
arrived the next day, fast delivery! My Chevy drive shafts will be re-drilled for five on 4-1/2"
bolt circle, to make the mags fit.
Also, I can get the fronts bolted on, as I now have nuts that fit.
Oh, and the S10 rear axle gets half inch studs instead of 12mm.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick162a.jpg)
Floors are coming nicely, and using cardboard templates has spared me from having to do
multiple panels for any one space, so far. Working hard on getting it all straigt and level too.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161e.jpg)
So, about the breads, 62131, here's what I planned. Nothing fancy, just simple beads,
and aiming to get them in line and parallel.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161d.jpg)
The hole in the floor? The upper four link bars would hit the floor, so I'll make some
kind of "bump" here. Arrow, in case you don't find the hole. I like making arrows.
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I've seen guys use old steel toe boot caps to make the ends of the cover piece you need to make. Just an idea for you.
Tom
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How many of us benefit from someone else's ideas. What a gift it is to see how something we have can become something we need.
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Thank you TFoch, for the tip (toe tip) almost made a pun there! I'll try to remember that, but in
this case, I'll probably be using a straight piece. We'll see.
And yes, sixball, I've benefitted immensely from watching how to videos on youtube, and getting
good advice from people on forums. My work would be no where if it weren't for
what I've learned from others.
More floor work.
I welded a 1" sqare tube between the wheel tubs, to weld the floor to,and to give it some structure.
I think all this will be plenty strong when it's all welded to a unit.
I bent the rounded corners around a pipe. The vertical parts are also slanted, so it made for some
interesting pattern making to get right. There's a bead in the center, to make the panels fit flush.
Everything will be rosette welded at some point.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161f.jpg)
The upper clamps in the pic is probably right at where the front edge of the rear seat will be.
some floor work back there too, to get things all wrapped up. This area is all unplanned still.
I did an "oops" on the slanted part of the floor to the right in the pic. I cut too far, and then
changed my plans. It bugs me, I might make a new floor part, but it's a fairly big piece of
sheet metal, and I'm cheap...
-
I continued my template making today, and went for an extension of the transmission tunnel. It's
a tight fit all over since I hope to be able to get thre fairly comfortable pedals mounted. There is
only between 3/8" and 5/8" of room between the transmission case and the tunnel. I'll probably
regret making it this tight at some point.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161g.jpg)
I would have wanted a shifter poking up somewhere in this second part of the tunnel, but the
BMW shifter is coming out of the rear of the transmission.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161h.jpg)
This is the original BMW 530 shifter. It looks to be awful far back, but I'm fairly confident that I
will make it work nicely even if I shorten the longitudinal shift link some 6". This will effectively
move the shifter forward, so that will be about at the front of the seat. A pretty tall crooked
shifter will make it work. I hope. With tall, I mean like 17".
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Thank you TFoch, for the tip (toe tip) almost made a pun there! I'll try to remember that, but in
this case, I'll probably be using a straight piece. We'll see.
And yes, sixball, I've benefitted immensely from watching how to videos on youtube, and getting
good advice from people on forums. My work would be no where if it weren't for
what I've learned from others.
More floor work.
I welded a 1" sqare tube between the wheel tubs, to weld the floor to,and to give it some structure.
I think all this will be plenty strong when it's all welded to a unit.
I bent the rounded corners around a pipe. The vertical parts are also slanted, so it made for some
interesting pattern making to get right. There's a bead in the center, to make the panels fit flush.
Everything will be rosette welded at some point.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161f.jpg)
The upper clamps in the pic is probably right at where the front edge of the rear seat will be.
some floor work back there too, to get things all wrapped up. This area is all unplanned still.
I did an "oops" on the slanted part of the floor to the right in the pic. I cut too far, and then
changed my plans. It bugs me, I might make a new floor part, but it's a fairly big piece of
sheet metal, and I'm cheap...
Piece that floor part in, it will work fine and no one will ever know except you. :)
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Essex, your floor is looking great. Nice work.
I agree with Chopper, no one will ever see that kick up hickup😁 Don't beat your self up over that, i use to and would make a new panel. Then only to cover it up with insuation/ carpet and think back.....why did i do that? Really waisting time and material. Dad always said i was my worst enemy, he was right.
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Yes, chopper526, after giving it some thought, I think I'll leave it be. Besides,
I can put on some filler and paint, hehe.
sammons, thank you for the wise words from your dad. I guess.... Sometimes I am.
Still more floor work
I went to a buddy's shop and brought with me a few big offcuts of the same material I'm
using for the floor. I got busy experimenting with some bead roller dies, and pre-stretching
on the english wheel, which I haven't done before.
I chose a square bead, because it's a bit unusual and I like the look.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161i.jpg)
I kicked the wheel very tight and rolled twelve times over each line where I was going to
roll the beads. The beads I rolled were fairly substantial, so without pre-stretching, the
sheet metal warped badly.
Back home, the driver's side middle floor panel is tried into its place. These middle parts
warped the worst, but I think they'll sort themselves out when I get them welded in.
I tidied the ends of the beads up with a chisel that I ground to a dull square end with
rounded corners.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161j.jpg)
There, at the rear of the door opening, I made a square stamping. I had tried hard to
come up with something fun for the floors, and this is the one detail I came to think of.
What's an hour or a few to make a stamping die, when you haven't got anything else to do?
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161k.jpg)
A Body by Fisher plaque. Genuine floors... Right. Anyway, I think it's a fun detail, also
a bit GM specific. This one's been on the cowl, where I cut out some rust.
So now there's a ton of drilling and plug welding to get the floors in. I have borrowed
a pneumatic hole punch, it saves a lot of time, but of course, it can be used only on the
edges of a sheet
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161l.jpg)
Wood chips are frome the two by four in my vice.
Just one little floor piece tacked in yet, but this is fun work, doing these "acre makers".
-
More good work! You just keep nailing it.
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Thank you, sixball!
In any case, this is much more work than I had expected. I put in waterproof plywood floor in my Essex,
and I think that was less work, still for a very tidy result. Speaking of which, I found a couple nice
3/4" plywood offcuts that will be used for the running boards. I think they will be very stiff and robust.
I fitted the little floor piece in the front, tacked it in, and continued with the middle part. Since I'm
plug welding through fairly small holes, I cranked the voltage up pretty high, and drilled and stamped
the holes about 1-1/4" apart.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161n.jpg)
Tonight I welded the front part of the right hand side floor in, and ground off the tops of the spot
welds on the driver's side.
3M Cubitron fiber discs on an angle grinder makes short work of knocking down the welds. They're expesive, but worth
it every day of the week. I have tried several other makes of sanding discs, but these 3Ms are outstanding.
I had a new 24 grit Bosch disc, and counted seconds, as I ground the welds. Ten seconds at least, per
weld. The 36 grit cubitron took them down in four seconds or less, and that disc was slightly used.
That's my tip of the day.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161m.jpg)
The driver's side is the far side in this pic. The near (right hand) side is just adjusted to fit and
screwed in with a couple selftappers in lieu of clecos.
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:)
-
Floor pans are coming along nice
-
Really moving along! Nice work!
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Those pans look too good to put carpet on ;D
-
Thank you all!
In all honesty it feels a bit like treading water at the moment, maybe it's a good thing christmas
is coming, so I can take a couple days off from the project.
I had to cut the bottom edge of the wheel tubs along the frame to give the rear axle space to get
it lifted up so that it bottomed out against the frame. The cut is the rounded edge inboard of
the brake drum.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick162b.jpg)
You may notice a wheel stud is missing. I just removed it to use as a template for ordering new
studs. My new Moser steel axles will get drilled to 4-1/2" to fit the slotmags
When checked that the prop shaft will indeed fit under the frame loop, I could start cutting out the
material for another piece of the trans tunnel. I bent the sheet around a too small diameter tube,
so it took a lot of finessing and a few harsh words, when nobody listened, to get it acceptable.
What I call the "frame loop" is to the right of the new piece of tunnel. It's part of the frame, and
the trans tunnel will curve around it, not touching, to avoid rattles.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161o.jpg)
A couple floor pieces welded in and ground on the right hand side now too. The shifter will come
up through the new tunnel piece just a couple inches from the front, so there's a bit of planning
and doing still before it can be welded to the floor.
-
Happy new Year!
It's now already 2023 here, 13 minutes into the new year.
Last thing I did last year was getting the floor ready. The wife's away, visiting our son and his
daugher. He works most days now (200% pay on sundays and general non work days), and
his wife is at her parent's place.
So here I am, home alone, spending quality time in the garage.
The middle body crossmember got a center brace. It's really only needed to stiffen the body
while it's off the frame.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161q.jpg)
It's 5mm plate, a bit thicker than 3/16"
"A few hundred" holes (every 1-3/16")punched and about the same amount of plugwelds later the rear of the
floor and the rearmost piece of the transmission tunnel are welded in. All kinds of grinders and
rotary files I own got used knocking down the welds, and of course grinding the humps for the
rear axle four links, as I had to weld them with visible welds, which of cours is a pain to grind. I
made them from 3" exhaust pipe, it seemed to be the easiest way to get a nice shape to them.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161s.jpg)
The center piece of the transmission tunnel is just mocked in, as the shifter will be attached
to it before it can be welded. So that aside, all that's left is the rearmost 18 or so inches, which will
be under rear seat.
-
Happy New Year! The floor is looking great! Nice progress!
-
Happy New Year! Looks good!
-
The floor turned out nice
-
Thank you TFoch, sixball and 62131.
Continuing with the look of the car from the outside, but still kind of connected to the floor:
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161t.jpg)
The beads along the bottom of the body are supposed to coninue under the doors. One of these
parts are missing entirely, and the other one's so rusted, it's unusable. I figured I can make
something similar looking from 1" dia tubing. I rolled the tubing with my tubing roller/bender, and
got a slightly curved tube, then cut it in half along its length. I then cut the floor, which I previously
had made a bit over size in the door openings, to fit the bent tube.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161u.jpg)
I welded 3/16" end plates to the half tube, so that I could grind a bit of a rounded edge to it, then welded it to the floor.
Surprisingly, this simple way to make the bead part looks pretty decent, even if it's just a piece of tubing.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick161v.jpg)
You have to really bend down to see that the bead is a couple sixteenths too shallow (against the apron),
but everything is likely going to be black, so nobody will probably notice.
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Looking good! I also use tubbing, (actualy electrical conduit) for rocker below the door.
-
About 233 days of work in fifteen months between thses pics. The result to the most part is... New wheels???
Funny how sometimes one's work doesn't show very well. At least if you don't look closer.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick2022.jpg)
I keep track on the days in the garage. In 2022 onehundred and eighty five days were spent in the
shop, working on the Buick. I never counted the hours, but an educated guess would be an average
of maybe 480 hours per year, but then there isn't an hour in a day, when I don't think about
my current project.
I'm lycky enough to be happily married to a wonderful woman, who makes it all possible.
So there's todays musings about the year that went. Who knows, maybe in another fifteen months we'll
see a bigger change.
I wish you all a fun 2023, wishing that we all may get do what we like the best!
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Very few people who see your car will have any idea of the time & skill invested. In many ways it is like building a house. When finished the foundation, framing, wiring, & plumbing doesn't show. Cars without a good foundation can be built and they might even LOOK good. We and you will know the difference here!
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A lot of people only see the shiny paint and never see or think about the time and work that was put into it
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Well said, sixball. Actually in 2007, about a year before I got my Essex rod done, a
friend of mine, who was building a '30 Chevrolet pick up that was almost ready, said: "This
is almost as much work as building a house". Not far off, perhaps.
You're right about that, 62131. One thing that's funny too, is that if you get some
bitter critic, most of the time it will be from guys who haven't built cars themselves.
In any case, on the top pic, snapped some 15 months ago, you can see the front wheel is just
standing by itself on the floor. Lots of things have been done, but in those pics it doesn't
really show, unless one takes a good look.
Anyway, on with the door openings.
One of the tops of the door jambs was missing, and some previous owner had gotten
one from a four door car. I had been planning on just lengthen that one, but then I noticed that
I had made the door itself incompatible with the original top jamb parts. So here's a new version.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163.jpg)
Here, welded to the roof.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163a.jpg)
I didn't grind this more than I needed to, I'll make drip rails to go on top of this weld.
Last I made a kind of rail, or profile which I cut out from a 1" by square tubing that I
had rolled to a bend in my tubing bender/roller. A rubber door seal will be mounted to this "rail".
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163b.jpg)
It's pretty critical to get this rail thing mounted in the right position, as the rubber seal
profile I have chosen has a maximum allowance for just 3/16" between getting totally
smashed, and not sealing.
The holes along the profile will allow me to first test mount it with screws, and then weld it in place.
I'm planning on doing this the same way on the floor
-
New day, so said and done, I screwed the little profile into place, and tried the fit with the rubber
seal. Testing to close the door, which worked, and a piece of paper to try if it catches between
the door and the seal, which also seemed fine.
The seal is tried on in this pic.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163c.jpg)
The trial mounting with screws-thing worked a charm, and here's the little profile welded to the
top of the door jamb.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163d.jpg)
On the floor, the same kind of procedure was a bit easier to do, as nothing was falling down all the time.
One door jamb done, one to go.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick163e.jpg)
Arrow points to the newly installed door seal profile on the floor. Just in case it's not self explanatory.
Did I tell you I like to make arrows?
In any case, it looks and feels better now that you can't see into the car around the door anymore
-
Nice progress Essex. I like they way your weatherstrips turning out. Looking good.
-
Great work! Next time you are in Nevada why don't you stop by and build my roadster? ::)
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Thank you, sammons. Boring work though, Hope to get myself dragged out to the
garage to do the other side tomorrow.
sixball, Thanks, and uh.... I'm busy, sorry ;D
I got back my prop shaft made from two into one piece a couple days ago. It's got a beautifully blacked
billet steel, CNC machined coupler/yoke, that fits between the output shaft on the BMW six speed
transmission and the the front U-joint of the Dodge Ram 4WD front prop shaft. A coupling part is
then turned on a lathe to make the Dodge slip joint fit into a front half of a Chevy Caprice prop
shaft, a left over from a custom prop shaft made from the other end of it. I painted it earlier, and
now it's got new U-joints too.
The S10 rear axle has the same U-joint as the Caprice, so things work out.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick164.jpg)
This build is extremely environmentally friendly, using parts that I find on my shop
floor... Sure. Maybe better than buying a new car.
But then, who'd want a new car anyway?
-
Finally today, I got the right hand side door opening and seal profile things done. the last one
fought me all the way, and I had to make a new one. Oh well, that's what building cars is about.
Today, though, something fun came in the mail!
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/Rustybowtie.jpg)
Business cards and Member stickers. Very cool!
The Finnish customs has apparently taken a look see, as the envelope is ripped&taped, and came in my
post box in a plastic bag that had "Customs" printed on it
Also today, I ordered a bunch of brake parts rom Rockauto. Not cheap to get car parts here.
Parts $124
Freight $150
VAT $67
Locally prices are just as bad:
A pair of front disc brake rotors: $65,68 at Rockauto (as ordered today)
Local speed shop: 278€
One just has to keep smiling...
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The brake parts I ordered from RockyAuto came today. Ordered Saturday, and came
here (North Europe) nine days later. That's not bad at all.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick164R.jpg)
Brake upgrade,
I have a Mustang II front end and the 9" brake rotors look tiny. They'd probably be good
enough for a normal street driven car, that's me in practice, but 11" rotors will look better in any case.
This package contained two Granada rotors, bearings and seals, GM brake pads, and slide pins for
the calipers. I ordered caliper brackets from ebay. I still need a bunch of stuff, but to avoid customs
I need to keep the value of the parts in each order below 150 €uros, which is about $155 or so.
The rotors were 32 Euros a piece in the webshop. Added freight and VAT the price on my doorstep is
90.31 Euros. so 2.75 times the original price.
Anyway, I have a 1987 Firebird Trans Am GTA brake pedal, booster and master cylinder. I will run new
front calipers for the same car, so with the 11" Ford Granada rotors they should yield the same
braking power. I'm Running rear GM drums on the S10 axle, so I might need to go with a same
diameter G-body disc/drum master cylinder to get it all dialled in (these had the same cailpers).
This should work, getting me a brake system that has a potential to work right off the bat.
At least there's hope.
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Today, though, something fun came in the mail!
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/Rustybowtie.jpg)
Business cards and Member stickers. Very cool!
The Finnish customs has apparently taken a look see, as the envelope is ripped&taped, and came in my
post box in a plastic bag that had "Customs" printed on it
Customs probably opened it after seeing my last name and wondered if the President of Poland was sending you something ;)
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Haha, Ed, that's probably it!
I've really lost my momentum after New Years, mostly doing small work around the house, and
generally being unproductive.
32nd anniversary today, so it's not a garage night. Yesterday, though, I got a couple hours in,
working on the rear part of the floor.
I cut out a piece of sheet metal, and rolled two bends in it at a friend's garage with his bead
roller, as the floor piece was 6" too wide to fit in my sheet metal brake. I also rolled a litle
hump in the center with his english wheel to clear the shock absorber cross member.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick165.jpg)
I rolled a diamond around the little hump, this time using my own little bead roller (right pic). I cut
out another hump to clear the air bag/spring mount, and started working on a little hatch to be
able to service the air bag and lines after the floor is welded in.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick165a.jpg)
I bent a 90 in a piece of sheetmetal, drilled holes, and welded it to the wheel tub, making a
flange to later weld the floor to.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick165b.jpg)
Also in the pic above, the spring mount can be seen. Here it's cut down a bit, to make clearance
against the triangular humps.
And, wouldn't you know it, the triangular hums were cut in almost the right place, so I had
to cut a bit more. Nothing copious amounts of weld, grinding and paint won't hide.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick165c.jpg)
I might make a battery tray here behind the rear seat. As long as I'm not certain, I'll probably
leave this part of the floor just sitting in its place.
Still some planning to do regarding placement of Battery, air tanks and compressors (thoguhts
of these still make me cringe a bit), and the fuel tank.
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Any progress is good! Keep at it, looking great!
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You are fine. Unproductive is my fast mode. I get nothing done in a hurry. :(
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Great stuff here. 8)
Im always interested in how these things are sealed up.
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One piece at a time, it'll get there. Keep at it.
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Thanks all of you, any progress is good, I guess, but geez, inspiration has been at an all
time low and progress has really suffered.
Last time I was online, I couldn't get any pics uploaded, so I gave up, so here comes a
couple weeks worth of words and pics.
I got the rear floor done so far, holes are drilled for spotwelds, and the humps and hatches
are done, nuts welded to the underside of the floor piece. It's still not welded in, since I'm
undecided about fuel tank and battery placement.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick165d.jpg)
I got the header pipes I had ordered from a company called Botnia Bend. 12 header pipes
bent to 62 degrees.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166a.jpg)
This is how they're planned to mount. Flanges are still not done. Drawn and ordered though.
The pipes will snake down through the fender and back inwards, to a collector.
Bends below the fender will be unpolished water pipe. Everything in stainless.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166.jpg)
Six polished pipes in a row on each side. Can't wait to see it done.
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Using my hole cutting template thingy, I made a shifter assembly today.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick167e.jpg)
I used a bearing with a spheric outer race to provide the needed articulation.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick167.jpg)
The sheet metal part will be welded to the floor structure. In practice
this will be covered with sheetmetal and some kind of boot when it's
done, so not really visible.
The shifter is a simple thing to do, just what I need to get up to speed again.
I've been collecting brake parts. I wanted to upgrade the 9" Mustang II disc brakes, and have
11" Granada rotors, adapters for GM calipers, brake pads, wheel bearings, seals, brake shoes,
master cylinder, rear cylinders, hoses, brake cables...
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick168.jpg)
Looks like a shelf at a speed shop.
It will be fun to assemble all the parts when the spindles are painted.
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WOW...we need to get you your own hot rod reality TV show. ;D
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If I understand this correctly, you are using the 2 bolt flange bearing as your pivot point. Overtime the housing will wear and become loose. Even faster if using a manual transmission.
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Ha-ha, EDNY, that would be funny. My own reality TV show.
When writing, I try to hide my accent, but in speach... *grinning*
62131, that's correct. and I gave it half a thought, but assumed it would hold up. We'll see, I'm
not really too excited about how it looks, so it would have to be covered by a boot. I might do
something more mechanical looking some day. Thank you for the warning anyway.
I got the whole shifty thing tacked in yesterday, along with the transmission tunnel piece that has
been missing. I tried it out, and the thing works nicely.
Today I cut a couple strips and welded in where the gaps were too big to weld shut. Then some
grinding later it's done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick167a.jpg)
The shifter stalk is just a piece of 1/8" wall water pipe. It will be cut off right above its pivot
point, and in some way be connected to a very short 6" Hurst shifter and knob that I have.
I wish I had a taller one. Gotta see if it fits into the budget someday...
Or I make my own. Time will tell.
-
Looks pretty cool to me. Is that a grease fitting on the side?
-
chopper526 I guess it's a matter of taste. If I get a decent looking shifter lever in place
of that straight water tube it might look okay. And yes, it's a grease fitting. Maybe if it's lubed it
might hold up for a decent amount of time, we'll see.
I dug through my stash of nice things and found the stubby shifter. Turns out it's 7-1/2"
and not six inches as I said yesterday. Still too short though.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick167b.jpg)
I think I might fab up an own shifter lever, it will probably look better than trying to rat rod-punk it by
lengthening the short one and making a joint half way up.
Me finding an used Hurst shifter with the exact height and bend that I want. Cheap. Not likely to happen.
Lengthened version to the left and home made new version to the right.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick167b1.jpg)
Now if I can get some nice thick plate somewhere...
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Looking good Essex! I swear i use to have a shifter in my bins that looked just like the left one you pictured. Have no idea what it would have fit.
I was at the metal yard one day looking around the used section. Lots of farm manufacturing around, the sell their left overs and cut off scraps there. Stumbled on to a decent size 3/8" stainless steel plate, i grabbed it just because. Yrars later i needed a special bend shifter, cut it out of that. Plas torch was struggling thru it😁 But i got it cut out, threads cut and polished up nice. Every once in a while you get lucky😆
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Essex_39. I have been selling bearings for a living for 38 years from agricultural to industrial. Just a little information where my knowledge of bearings came from. The grease fitting is there to lubricate the balls or rolling elements in other types of bearings. If you grease it, you will properly cause it more harm than good. The movement of the bearing in the housing is for shaft misalignment, I'm sure it will last for a while, but it will get easier to move overtime as it wears.
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Björn
This shifter has been collecting dust in my barn for years...you can have it for free if you can use it.
Ed
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Björn
This shifter has been collecting dust in my barn for years...you can have it for free if you can use it.
Ed
Ed! That's absolutely fantastic, it has to be the closest you can get to what Im looking for!
Yes please, I can use it for sure.
Let me know how I can pay you for postage and all. You already have my address.
Thank you!
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Björn
This shifter has been collecting dust in my barn for years...you can have it for free if you can use it.
Ed
Ed! That's absolutely fantastic, it has to be the closest you can get to what Im looking for!
Yes please, I can use it for sure.
Let me know how I can pay you for postage and all. You already have my address.
Thank you!
Do you want the entire shifter with the linkage sliders or just the chrome handle? Probably easier if I send the entire unit and let you take it apart. I'll get it packaged up. Need to determine the best shipper, US Post office, FEDEX or DHL etc?
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Fedex works fine when ordering over the internet, so maybe that.
Seems reasonable pricewise too.
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Fedex works fine when ordering over the internet, so maybe that.
Seems reasonable pricewise too.
I need to do more research...so far I'm seeing estimates of $50-$60 :o
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Ouch, that's pretty steep, that's not an especially big or heavy thing either.
I got a much heavier box from R0CKAUT0 delivered for $41.99 a week ago. Funny how it works.
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I got a nice little package today containing a bunch of stainless flanges for my headers.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166b.jpg)
They are a bit more than 3/8" thick, so they should be nice to work with.
I think I have all the materials needed for the headers now, except for the
welding rod, so I hope to get started on fabricating this weekend. Now, I just have
to figure out how to make a jig for cutting the same angle on all twelve primary tubes...
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I got in some quality time in the garage today, and started working on the headers. Annoyingly enough,
all the header tubes on the driver's side can't be at the same angle as there's not enough room for the
last one, it would hit the firewall. On the right hand side it might work, but then I may do it the same
way to make it all symmetrical.
The first tube is cut and ready for tacking.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166c.jpg)
I built a jig for cutting the primary tubes in the right angle. It took a few tries to get it right. I cut the
first and the last tube on the driver's side, and am planning on tacking them first, and then jigging
things up to ge the four in between welded to the same angle.
I ground one flange with 24, 60, 80, 280 and 320 grit and the polished it, as you can see in the above pic.
Then I took the other eleven flanges and got them down to 80 grit, and took the rest of the evening off.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166d.jpg)
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When you start welding I'd be curious as to the amperage setting you wind up using (TIG or MIG).
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Can't wait to see how those headers come out!
-
Nice!
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I'll keep you posted, EDNY. I'm a beginner TIG welder, and have planned to have a buddy weld the visible
welds, though.
TFoch and sammons,
can't but hope they come out nice.
The next day I expected to continue through finer grits with the flanges. For some odd reason I decided it's time
to try if they will all fit in their places on the cylinder heads. Turned out that... they don't.
Mathematically there should be a 50% chance to get a flange the right way. turned out nine of the eleven
flanges I was working on were ground on the wrong side. What are the odds???
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166e.jpg)
Actually all the flanges have to be the same side out, which of course lessened the probability to get them right
without checking. Anyway, I took a deep breath inside my respirator, and hit them on the other side. Today there
were just a couple left, and then I sanded them all with 180 and 230 grit. Finally a polish with a cotton buffing
wheel on the corded drill held in the bench wise.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166f.jpg)
More polishing to do later when they're welded.
It's no mirror finish, but maybe I can get them a bit brighter later. At least they're no supposed to rust.
-
I found that a big thick M10 washer on the lower flange bolt placed the tube on the right height, so I could use
that as a partial jig to get the tubes centered on the flanges. Then I proceeded cutting pipes at the right angle, to
get them pointed a bit rearwards. As I explained earlier, all the tubes had to be cut in differing angles. Then
the vertical part of the tubes were angled backwards about 4 degrees.
Here the first and last tube are tacked to their respective flanges at the correct angle, then the level was taped
to them (used only as a straightedge, of course) to aid in getting the rest of the pipes tacked in to fit.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166e1.jpg)
First I set the angle right, then measured how much too long the pipe was, and then tried to shoretn it to the
same angle. It kinda worked. Timeconsuming at any rate.
Finally got the six driver's side primaries tacked to the flanges. The primaries will go down through the
fender, so less than you can see here will be visible when the fenders are done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166h.jpg)
I like these headers, they will not hide the fact that there's a multi cylinder engine in this ride. Big grin
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166g.jpg)
Yes, this will visually work. The engine will look awesomely wide with the headers done on both sides.
So inspiring to get something done that really shows. There hasn't been much of this kind of things
done since newyears, so I really needed this inspiration boost.
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Wow!! Now that looks kick ass!!!
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I agree!
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Great job, that sure looks good!
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Awesome job,
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Those pipes look great so far 👍
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Thank you all for the positive comments!
It took me four evenings to cut the six pipes for the right hand side and tack them. When I got up
to speed, the three last primaries took about one hour each to get cut right. As I don't have any
extra tubes, I had to be patient and shorten them little by little. I had already cut the very first
one too short, but luckily that was the rear most one on the driver's side, and the front ones
are about 3/4" shorter, so I could just make it the front most one.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166j.jpg)
I like how the over the frame headers make the engine visually wide, because even if it's a 12 cylinder
engine, it's small and narrow, just 304-ish cubic inches (3.31" bore, 2.95" stroke) with a 60 degree bank angle.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166i.jpg)
I probably mentioned it before, those electric Quardrajets are there just to plug the holes in the intake.
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FYI If anyone needs quadrajet parts..I have a collection of them as parts units.
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I like the Quadrajet carbs, A couple cars that I had ran great with them. They're pretty big
too, I heard they are something upwards to 800 cfm, so good for some performance stuff, even,
if you get them sorted. I was going to use them on this build, but my intake is so short that two
of them would have looked out of place.
I started my day removing the exhaust primaries and loading them in my trusty rusty Chevy wagon
and hauled my load to a friend who's better at TIG welding than I am. I thought they looked so
nice, being so many, that I just had to snap a pic of them.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166k.jpg)
The very first parts I bought (several years ago) for my next hot rod project was a couple Brittish
oil bath air cleaners. I like the cool stickers, and will try to get something similar for them
when they're painted.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick169a.jpg)
I cut the throats off of the air cleaners and made a couple standard bases to fit the Edelbrock
carbs. Sadly they are too close together, so I had to cut about an inch off the side of each air
cleaner. I'll weld them together to a unit. They're fully functional now, but I'll use paper
elements if I can find any that I can make fit.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick169.jpg)
I think the oil bath filters will boost the oldtimey engine look that I am going for.
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I like the direction you are going in from top to bottom!
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Thank you EDNY, though it's all a matter of taste.
Here's my day in a nutshell:
(weirdly enough, I posted this on Sunday night, but it disappeared later, so here we go again)
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick169c1.jpg)
The rear carb here is one that I'm intending to use on this engine, a 500 cfm #1404. The front one is
a 600 cfm, from an Olds engine I have. Still some shopping to do.
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Very sharp looking, great idea.
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Thank you chopper 526. I have a thing for those old oil bath air cleaners. I had
something similar on my Essex the last couple summers, an old oil bath air cleaner
that I found in a junk yard in Canada.
Here's the first try at making a flat merge collector. There will be four of these three-into-one
collectors, where the primaries turn back in under the frame. They will continue in a short, maybe 4"
pipe, that goes from flat to a round 2-1/2" collector flange.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166l.jpg)
There's not enough room for round collectors under the frame. That's beside the point, really, this is much less work.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166l1.jpg)
This would be much easier to do...
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I like the air cleaners! Nice work!
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Thank you TFoch. I'm happy with them, especially the fact that they still look
like two air cleaners to me.
After a week long fight with the flu I finally got to buy the car I have been searching for the last
months. It's time to upgrade my daily.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/caprice84.jpg)
This one's four years newer than the black wagon I've been driving for almost ten years now. This
new one is now my eleventh full size boxy body GM car. I like them. Obviously.
I got a few hours in the shop, and got work on the first collector started.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166n.jpg)
I fought with the stainless, and even at 1mm thickness (40 thou) it was hard work, and I feel that
thicker material would be the way to go. So I'll try making them in two parts, probably, and thicker material.
I got three primaries merged.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166m.jpg)
It took me some thinking and planning to get this done. I don'treally TIG, so this was a challenge,
but it seems it can be done. Just four more to go.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166o.jpg)
An extra cylinder head would make this work much easier...
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For a guy that doesn't really TIG, that sure looks pretty good to me. That is going to be sweet when you are done.
Let me ask you, and the group a question: my 67' Mustang has a set of chrome Motorsport headers on it that I installed 20+ years ago. They are looking beat now and I want to replace them, so what do you guys think chrome, stainless or ceramic coated, and why?
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Me I would go coated, chrome will rust, stainless will turn blue. The coated headers I have on my 32 still look like they did when I installed them.
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Essex, looking good on the headers. I've had my eye on the same color/trim mid 80s wagon with Cragar SS wheels here in town. It got away last month and a Ford pick up showed up in it's place😕
Chopper, stainless lasts, but usually top dollar. Chrome seems to have a shelf life but cheaper of the three, and betting shorter life than your 20yr old ones. Ceramic good choise for longevity. Me, lol.... i'm a thrift guy. I'd get steel and paint, spend money saved on other things😁
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Thank you chopper526 and sammons, for the nice words.
Looking forward to get back to work, productivity has suffered
from a lot if chores and also, as I had a bunch of friends over on
wednesday nigt, I put a bit of effort into tidying up the garage.
I don’t know if attachments will show up, but here’s my daily
beater since almost ten years. It looks decent, but it’s a rust
bucket, salted roads have eaten away a good chunk of the
frame and right hand side of the body.
Regarding the headers, I,d probably vote for the ceramic coated.
I only had one pair of new headers, and I had to modify them to fit.
In any case I’d avoid anything chromed, I’d assume they will rust.
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I see, you have to have friends to have a clean shop. :o Maybe if I was a nicer guy I'd have some friends and a shop I could work in. ::)
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Yep, sixball, you gotta have a reason for cleaning the garage ;)
Last night I got all the ends of the primaries made (nine more), the ones going into the collector.
Some welds look almost decent. Not like looking good, but they will probably not fall off.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166p.jpg)
I guess my rod project has run into a s tand still. I got my new wheels home today, and am
going to start working on it to get it out of the way.
What's better than a wagon? Two wagons!
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/Cap1.jpg)
On jackstands now, I'll have to get the engine out and get the rear crank seal replaced, and
as the PO has started the project by removing in fron of the engine, I'm going to do the maintenance
out of the car. I so not looking forward to getting everything mounted, with all the parts lying in the
back of hte wagon, probably a few pounds of fasteners missing. Luckily I've worked on
a few of these before.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/Cap3.jpg)
The sun coming along the side of hte body makes ten years of collected dust show up. Pic taken
an hour or two after the previous pic, where it looks prery decent. And no, it didn't sag that
bad, it's the panoramic effect of my phone camera.
I think it's funny how boxy GM cars looked the same for so long. The Chevrolets hardly changed
in 11 years. Compare that to what happened between 1954 and '65, for example.
Biggest change the boxy years is the dash.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/Cap2.jpg)
... and even then, if you haven't seen one recently, you wouldn't probably notice the difference
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Not much useful happening here as usual during summer. Lots to do. House needs paiting, still working
on the Caprice, mounted a hitch today, and still have to connect the electricals. We have to have orange turn
signals on trailers, so they have to be run from the front blinkers. The brake lights too, so I ran a four in one
cable all the way to the front.
I just got in a day to work on the headers. I decided that a jig is the way to go, so I measured the spacing
and drilled six holes in a short piece of H-beam to bolt the primaries to. Then (after I took the pic) I welded the
primary tubes to eachother, and made the parts for the collector. Stainless is very hard to form, maybe I
should have gone for thinner material, I'm making them from pieces of 1/16" wall tubing. As this is the
first one of four, I might still try to find some thinner stainless sheet metal.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick166q.jpg)
Late one evening I got inspired to draw new stickers for the air filters. I beleive they are from some kind of
Brittish trucks, but since I'm planning on making the engine look somewhat American, I changed some
of the text to make it look like the filters are American made. Just for shi#!s and giggles.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick168.jpg)
I will have some stickers made sometime down the line
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Amazing work on the label! Looks great!
Headers are coming along!
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Thank you TFoch.
I've been working on the tank some lately. Fist, where to put it. Second, how to make
it fit, and still not be in the way. Third, how big it needs to be to take abot 20 gallons
of gas, and then draw plans for it. It's a process.
That done, I drew the parts onto a bigger than usual (49"x98") sheet of steel. I decided
to cut out and make the end pieces first, and that was a good idea, since I need to
adjust the big sheet slightly as the bottom of the end pieces ended up being about
5/32" oversize.
The top, front, bottom and back side drawn out in one piece.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170.jpg)
End pieces laid down on the big sheet. A really great thing I did the side pieces first, as
I had made a mistake drawing the big piece out. Much easier to adjust the
measurements now, and cut to fit.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170a.jpg)
My son is a maths and physics teacher, and I had him chack my calculating. The tank
capacity will be 21 gallons and change. I was a few ounces off.
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I used a friend's sheet metal brake to bring the big sheet into shape. Seen here mocked
up with the end pieces.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170b.jpg)
Also, I brought home a fuel tank sender, a gauge, and materials for making reinforcement
plates that will go inside the tank, threaded to take the screws from the sender unit and
for the the still to be made lid for fuel feed-, return- and breather lines.
Feed will be 3/8", return and breather 5/16".
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Nice! Looking forward to seeing the finished piece!
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Thank you TFoch Some other things to do before welding it, so we'll see how it all turns out.
Fuel pick up, vent and return lines in a home made lid. Inside the tank there are thicker pieces of sheet
metal, which are threaded for the screws. I made gaskets for all openings from 2mm thick fuel proof rubber
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170h.jpg)
The fuel tank trial fitted. It does fit with only a few fractions of an inch to spare.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170c.jpg)
A Volvo fuel cap has been in the inventory for a few years. With the Volvo logo groud off, it looks like it might work.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170g.jpg)
After drilling a 3" hole with a hole saw in the back of the car, the new fuel cap could be tried out.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170d.jpg)
Braces (arrows) were welded to the rear body structure for the fuel tank to stand on, and to which the fuel
tank hold down straps will be bolted. The hole for the filler tube at the top in this pic
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170e.jpg)
Finally, one of the last pieces of the new floor could be welded in. This piece of sheet
metal has been waiting to be welded for six months, while the tank and structure has been
planned, and other work has been done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170f.jpg)
The fuel tank will stand on the floor, with pieces of rubber between it and the floor, on top
of the new braces. Bolts or maybe nuts will be welded in, so hold down straps can hold the tank secure.
The filler neck is still in the planning stage.
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Still working on the tank. The filler neck took a whole lot of planning to figure out how
to make it sturdy enough to use (you got to push the flipper latch pretty dang hard to
get it to open), and in which order things had to be done to make it possible to
weld everything and so that it can be disassembled afterwards.
Filler tube tacked to the body here, and cut off where a piece of rubber tubing will
connect it to the fuel tank.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170i.jpg)
Straps made from 1/8" x 1-1/4" flat bar.
They're bolted down with 3/8" UNC at the top, and 5/16" UNC bolts through the
braces under the floor.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170j.jpg)
The other half of the filler neck baked onto the tank pretty hot with the MIG.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170l.jpg)
Flanges around the whole tank makes it pretty easy to just fuse the parts together with
the TIG torch.
I had some issues with the weld bubbling and acting up, but new (expensive = better?) tungsten, a
gas lens and more gas flow finally helped, so the welds look decently solid now.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170k.jpg)
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Looking great!
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So nice!
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Nice fab work and your welds look great 👍
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Thank you TFoch, sixball and sammons. I take care to take pics of the nicest parts of
my welds ~grinning~
I took a day off from the tank work. As it's going towards fall and I have planned to get my A-arms
and other details sandblasted and painted during summer, I had to invent some kind of
exhaust fan for my blasting cabinet. I tried using my garage vac to suck out
the dust, but even via my home made cyclone, the filter just clogged up.
Last night I had a a light bulb moment, and so today I bought the cheapest leaf blower I
could find, and some drain pipe, for the grand total of about $50. Then got home and cut
and heated plastic parts until I got the mismatched parts to fit together.
This is how it looks now. the white arrow shows where the dust is blown out. I'll connect
it with a 3" hose (thin walled plastic with a meal spiral holding the shape) that
in turn is hoseclamped to a pipe that goes through the garage wall.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buickbc.jpg)
I sealed some seams with caulk, so I'll do some test blasting tomorrow.
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I haven't used mine in years. but I successfully adapted an old shop vac. My problem is our solar system won't run a decent compressor.
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sixball, I used a shop vac too, it worked ok, but even when I used my cyclone, the dust
went through and clogged up the filter in no time. Almost all vacuums and all fans for that matter,
uses the air they suck to cool the motor. A leaf blower doesn't, so I am counting on getting some
lifetime out of it in this use.
It got dusty in the garage, and the only way to not get vacuum all the way inside the garage was to
put the leaf blower outside the wall. Now it works great, and as a bonus, it's much quieter too. Now if I
could only get it to run a bit slower, the vacuum is so intense, that it's hard to bend the gloves.
The leaf blower is turned on along with the work light with the switch on the side of the
blasting cabinet.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buickbc1.jpg)
The fuel tank is done, but after leak testing it with dish soap and water, it started rusting. I
ground it with 180 grit on the D/A and sprayed on some red primer. I'm going to paint it black
when I have some more items to paint.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170m.jpg)
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The tank looks good. The weed blower is a good idea and takes up less space than my old shop vac. Mine is mounted outside so noise & dust in the shop was not a problem. Yours looks like a net setup. Could a light dimmer switch be wired in to control the blower speed?
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Thank you sixball. I'm going to use a transformer that's adjustable from 0 to 230 Volts, it can
take 8 Amperes, and works something like an antique stick welder. A big hunkin transformer with a
big wheel on top for adjusting the voltage. I'm assuming this will bring the rpms down, just have
to hope the motor won't burn up from it. It has a really small impeller, so I think it will be fine.
Later last night I painted the thank and it's hold down straps with black industrial two part paint
and a roller. I felt too lazy
to start cleaning a spray gun and all that, and the tank won't be visible behind the back seat anyway.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170n.jpg)
I just love two part paint, still after painting quite a few cars in my life, even working in a collision
repair shop for a year, I'm faschinated by the way the paint feels the next day. Like glass, opposed
to normal brush on paint that feels almost tacky the next day.
Anyway, I'll pour in a quart or two of two sroke oil in the tank, and slosh it around for rust
protection, and put the tank in storage.
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Tank looks great Essex!
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Thank you sammons.
Tank final trial fitted with straps and rubber mounting hardware (should be rubber software ;D)
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170o.jpg)
Time for the steering shaft.
I cut a hole in the firewall, and was figuring I can bolt a hatch with a bearing for the steering
shaft to it when I'm done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171.jpg)
There's nt much room for the brake and throttle pedals, which had me move the steering
shaft far left. Now we have a huge hole in the firewall. (Below)
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171a.jpg)
I'm holding a make shift steering shaft with my finger here, made from water tubing, the u-joint
will be at about where the tube ends. I'll have a real shaft machined soon.
The brake pedal is a modified one from a 1987 Trans Am that I parted out over a dacade ago.
I had to modify it to sit on the firewall, and also I cut down the pedal, and straightened it
out, to avoid it hitting the steering column.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171b.jpg)
The ghost image of the pedal is approxemately how it looked before I straightened it.
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Tight spaces make good work harder. You are doing just fine. ;D
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Thanks sixball. I sure hope I'm getting it. Since I made the transmissiontunnel I've
been wondering if this is going to work. And how.
I got the steering shaft extension today from a friend of mine who did the turning and milling.
It's a Mercedes specific D-D size at some 17.6mm.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171d.jpg)
The green arrow shows the original end piece, and where it has been cut off.
I've drilled holes in the upper original part, so there will be four plug welds for added security.
I brought home some material today, and made the brake reverser crank today from 10mm
Sheet. A bit more than 3/8" thick.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171c.jpg)
The hole was a bit tricky. Over and inch in diameter, and has to fit over that weirdly shaped
pressed tube. The plan is to make some kind of 90 degree under dash mounted master cylinder.
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Nice work! I like how you are making available parts to you work!
Tom
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Thank you TFoch, I had this brake booster and pedal assembly from an '87 TransAm. It's been
warming a shelf for 12 years, so, even if it was angled weird, I decided to use it.
Plans changed many times when I was planning and pondering. It took me a few days to get to the
point when I decided this has to work.
I turned the brake thing backwards (looked like a boomerang made out of 10mm thick material in my
last post).This gave me a 32 degree angle to work off. Also the brake booster sits at a 13 degree angle
upwards. I was planning on mounting it horizontally, but the G-body master cylinder I ordered
earlier has an angled lid so if I would have mounted it horizontally, it wouln't have held much fluid.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171e.jpg)
I wasn't feeling confident at all, when I started working on the brackets for the angle thingy, that
turns the movement from the brake pedal 90 degrees, and is angled 13 degrees in one
direction and 32 in the other... Overwhelming might be a suitable word.
I made a cardboard template, and started cutting and drilling. It semed to do the trick, so after that the
rest of the work wasn't too hard.
Today I got the whole thing almost ready to weld to the firewall. I made bolt on/weld on brackets, so the
assembly can be removed with four bolts. I'll probably make a bracket with one or two bolts at the
dash. The brake booster and master will also get a mount, so they'll hang off the center of the dash.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171f.jpg)
The whole thing is a monstrosity, but I think it will work. The movement at the brake booster is
the same as when originally mounted in the TransAm.
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Like reverse engineering a van mc/booster. 😎
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What kind of van, Rattiac? I have owned just one van, a '77 Beauville G30, and it
had a conventional straight forward brakebooster/master cylinder.
I know there are under dash 90 degree brake master assemblies from among others Kugel,
but I'm cheap and those things get expensive when they're in Europe. If I order a part that
costs $300 from USA, I have to pay the freight, and then 24% tax on both the part and the freight,
so it's easily $500 or more when it's here.
As an example $31 Granada brake discs from RockAuto cost me 90 euros all paid, and that's a bit
more than $95 US.
Actually, the main reason for making it myself, is I want to be able to make my own parts. Or is it, really?
Being cheap all my life has gotten me into this mindset, I guess. And I like to lean back and look at the
thing after the fact and tell my self: "I did it!"
*insert silly smiley*
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That's quite the mechanical wizardry you got there. Looks like it'll work fine.
I've seen that setup on vans also. My buddy bought a '74 Ford fancy low mile Econoline passenger van, it had that setup for sure. I've seen it on others, just can't remember makes or years.
I'm like you, use whats availible vs buying new. Nice when you get fabbed up and it works. Although... i don't like that part of the build. I get a headache thinking it through. I use to have several freinds good at engineering/fab on mechanical things. I was always happy to trade body/paint work. 😁 Same with engine building, i can do it but would trade for body work any day!
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What kind of van, Rattiac?
It was a 70's dodge van. I was at the junkyard a week ago and noticed it trying to find a manly horn from anything old. Slim pickings. I could pull it for ya.
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Thank you Rattiac, for the offer, but I have what I need now, my contraption seems to be working fine.
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Last night I made a hanger at the master to booster bolts, and could anchor the whole thing
with vise grips. It looks massive, and needed a cut out in the dash plate. That's a big booster.
But I had it so why not use it...
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171g.jpg)
I'm going to put a sturdy brace, probably a square tube of some sort, between the A-pillars to
help support the dash itself, and also the steering clumn drop and brake pedal assembly.
The dash design will be a bit like in a forties or fifties car with defroster vents on top, and a
big center section for the gauges. Hopefully this will hide most of the technical parts above
the pedals.
Thank you sammons, I like to be able to use what I have, and what's readily available.
And, I guess, contrary to you, I enjoy problem solving, and you get a lot of that building an
odd rod like this with odd parts.
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Since the steering shaft and pedals needs to be made together to really get the most of
the available space, and I have some parts in for machining, I took a break and welded
the gas filler neck mount tight against the body. I want it pretty much odor tight, so that
any spilled gas doesn't smell inside the car.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick170p.jpg)
The break pedal is from a car with an automatic transmission, so I just cut it down a bit
earlier. Today I cut the pedals out of a junked Saab 9000 and welded just the brake
pedal "blade" the part that the pedal rubber pad attaches to, to the TransAm pedal I
have been working on.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171h.jpg)
Then, as I happened to have a brake pedal from a seventies Dodge, I cut it, so that
the clutch pedal from the Saab fit, welded the parts toghether, and the overall length of the pedal is now the
same as the GM brake pedal.
The throw of the clutch pedal will be about 5-1/2" with the 35mm total
movement of the bmw clutch master.
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You are a wizard!
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Nice work! One step closer, so many of those🙂
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I like how you make the parts you have work for you, brilliant!
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Thank you sixball, sammons and TFoch for the supportive comments!
I worked a bit on the Dodge brake mount and made a flange for mounting the master. When the
actual brake pedal and its mechanism is mounted, I'll make the cluch pedal fit in the car
and maybe make it a part of the brake pedal mount.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171la.jpg)
I cut down an eighties Buick steering colum with tilt as small and short as I could.
Funny that you still see a bit of the ignition lock where I ground most of it away.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171i.jpg)
I had a friend turn and mill the missing part for my steering shaft. The new part here welds
into the column, and the other end fits my Mercedes U-joint.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171j.jpg)
This is now welded, so the steering just needs a bit of finageling to make it fit and work, and
then some brackets and mounts.
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I posted a pic of my Essex in the gallery today. It's obviously not a GM product, so if it's
inappropriate, anyone in charge here, take it down.
I welded the new part I had had made a few days ago to the steering shaft of the cut
down tilt column, and hung a ?56 Chevy steering wheel from the roof in about the right
position. I take all the ergonomic measurements off my '84 Caprice, since it's
pretty comfortable.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171m.jpg)
Then started working on a new piece of square tubing that will go between the A-pillars.
Level taped to the tube to get it right.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171n.jpg)
After the tube was in (it's decently sturdy at 1-5/8" square with 1/8" walls), I started
mocking up a column drop from 1/8" plate.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171o.jpg)
The column drop turned out to be about right, so I might be able to actually use it.
Some time in the future the tubing and the other unsightly stuff will be hidden by a later era style dash.
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Your getting it there 👍 Comfort is a must on the steering wheel.
Essex, i have to ask... what are your plans to patch the skin where you removed that big ugly Tumor they call a turn indicater lever? I've cut and filled pleanty of columns where i removed shift lever/ing switches on, but never on the big "lets see how many switches we can stuff into the turn lever" thing😁
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That's right, sammmons, I've sat in quite a few rods that have the steering whe way too
far forward. It really looks quite odd when you're building a rod, and put the steeringwheel where
it's decently comfortable. When I built the Essex, I measured off my '90 Mercedes coupe, where
the sitting position was about as low as I planned to have it. It worked nicely, and the steering wheel
and pedals were really comfortable. This time I don't have the body channelled at all, and the
roof isn't chopped, so the only reason the seat is lower than original is because of the 3+ degree
forward rake, which in effect makes the windshield lower.
Regarding the column, I'm not sure what to do with it, but I've been thinking of wrapping it with a
piece of thin shetmetal, with a join on the left side, where I'm planning on mounting some kind of
turn signal stalk. It's an ugly monster of a steering column, but I needed the tilt function to
make everything fit.
A couple days ago I worked some more on the column drop and could bolt the column to the new
tube between the A-pillars. It sits right now, the steeringwheel is nicely aligned about where it
needs to. I also had the brake pedal in the right position, and tacked it in good, with nice beefy
tack welds.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171p.jpg)
Right when I felt content with the result and was done, I came to think that I can alter the angle
of the steeringcolumnl to get some more room for the gas pedal. Oh well, I'll do that tomorrow...
Because reasons, it took me a couple days to get back to it, and today I cut the column loose off
of its drop mount, moved the nails in the two by eight on the floor 13/16" to
the left, and turned the column a bit so the steering shaft points a bit to the left, and the wheel
is again straight. Using the tilt column really is a saver. Then I welded the column to its drop mount
again in its new position.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick172.jpg)
I made a colum extension from thin (5/64"") wall one by two tubing all the way to the firewall, so now it's sturdy.
Then I ground away the big tacks on the brake pedal mount, and moved the whole thing to the left as
much as the U-joint was moved. Tacked in again, now In the right position. The result is a little bit more
room, which is sorely needed.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick171r.jpg)
This is in principle how I "misused" the tilt function by rotating it.
-
A good day in the shop today. I made the final mount for the brake pedal assembly.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick172a.jpg)
Then started working on the clutch pedal. The Dodge brake pedal mount is now hung
in two mounts, one still to make and weld to the firewall
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick172b.jpg)
I cut away some of the old mounting points and drilled holes for the last mount, then
welded the clutch master mount I made earlier to the top of the pedal mount.
I was able to use the eyelet from the Dodge push rod (Arrow),and welded it to an M8 bolt
that I cut the head off of. Then the bolt for the pushrod that goes with the eyelet, for
a slop free installation.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick172c.jpg)
Some cutting and grinding still to do to make it all look a bit prettier, then into the blasting
cabinet and then paint.
It finally feels like the project is moving, making of the brake assembly and the positioning
of the steering wheel and pedals has taken forever.
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I like it! Thanks for posting how you're making all these parts work. Valuable information!
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Thank you TFoch I'm happy if someone takes their time to read my ramblings, and
even more so if someone can be inspired from what I do.
Next up was to get the steering shaft done. I got a bearing that fits the shaft, and cut and
drilled a flange from 1/8" plate, then cut a piece of 19 gauge
sheetmetal, wrapped it around the flange and welded the two together Some grinding
later I was done for that day.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick173.jpg)
The next day I cut a piece of sheet metal, and cut a hole that the part above fit through.
The day after that I cut that piece of sheetmetal until it fit in the exact right position in
the huge hole I had cut in the firewall.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick173a.jpg)
The steering bearing mount is now tacked to the new sheetmetal piece.
Lots of fun per square foot at this time...
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The deep thought going into this build along with the repurposing of pieces already out there are only part of what makes this stand out. There are masterful skills involved too. Thanks for sharing this.
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Thank you very much sixball for the nice words.
I got the steering shaft bearing mount welded in and the hole I had cut in the firewall
repaired. It took some planning to get this done in the right order so that I had room
to grind and such before it got too crowded.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick173b.jpg)
It's fun to spray on some primer, things start looking done.
I put my leafblower fan to work and sandblasted the clutch pedal mount. Then painted it
all satin black.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick174.jpg)
First bolts to get torqued with nyloc nuts on this build!
I then mounted the pedal in its place just for fun, it's coming out along with everyting else
when the body is coming off the frame in a few weeks.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick174a.jpg)
The brake master still hadn't been test mounted, and of course there was some cutting to
be done. The cut was made as high as possible, and the result is a 3" space above the
master brake fluid container for filling fluid, so no issue with that.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick174b.jpg)
The cluch master has a remote container, I guess that one's just going to protrude through
the top of the dash for easy access
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Watching intently. Going to be ordering a column for mine soon.
Not sure I want a ididit column, I've seen some failures out there.
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Rattiac, I'd go with some oem column if there's something that would fit your need.
Aftermarket stuff seems never to be as good quality as oem, though it migt be hard to find
something that is easy to adapt...
I stood on my knees drawing a hatch on the floor of the Buick. Just as I was reaching for the
grinder to cut the hole, it hit me that if I make a battery compartment there, the exhaust will
have to hang low under the frame, and with my forward rake it would look real silly seen from behind.
So I looked aound and figured I can put the battery under the dash instead. To make the
battery somewhat easy to get in and out, it needed some kind of "elevator" thing. So I made
one. Now the battery can be lowered about eight or nine inches, so that it will be possible to
get at it when the dash is done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick175.jpg)
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Cool as hell idea there Essex, i really like that.
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Good Idea. What is involved in raising it? What keeps it in place?
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Thank you sammons and sixball.
There are four links, bottom ones are attached to the firewall, top ones to the dash tube...
It's impossible to explain, I should make a sketch...
Today I found a spoon gas pedal in a bit of square tubing.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick176.jpg)
I cut out the pieces from a side of a big tube with 3/16" walls, hammered the oval part
to a curved shape, and cut out the other part. Some filing was also involved.
I'm not really a fan of this style pedal, but there's no room for a fifties standing style pedal.
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I got a piece of axle stock 3/8" diameter and bearings to go
with it, made a bracket and tacked it to the firewall.
To the axle I tacked the pedal and the arm that goes up to the throttle linkage.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick176a.jpg)
This is what the pedals look like now. Sitting there pushing the pedals it all seems
pretty good, s? the bearing bracket was finish welded.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick176b.jpg)
The final bracket that helps keep the brake booster and brake master from shaking
too much is done, and just needs to be welded. That should make the pedals done,
just the throttle linkage through the firewall and on to the carbs to do.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick174c.jpg)
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Nice, clean fab and install work there Essex👍
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Nice work!
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I agree! When can I send you my roadster? ;D
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Thank you for your comments!
sixball, you asked about my battery mechanism. I drew a sketch to
explain how it works. Here's the principle, same thing on the othe side of
the battery.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick177a.jpg)
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick177b.jpg)
Obviously the battery itself is bolted to the tray.
This works, but to get the battery up, I need to use both hands and a knee, so
some kind of hook or latch thing is needed, so still in the R&D stage.
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Cool ideas going on here. 8)
I've been wanting to build something like this to hide my radio/stereo under the dash and pop it down when it's being used.
Blueprints in my head. Just gotta figure out how im gonna bend the sheet metal in one piece.
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That's a cool idea, Rattiac. A stereo not visible, and not int he glove box either. Great idea.
I'm planning to finish up the body and get the work done to it that has to be done, before lifting it off
the frame for paint.
Paint the frame and bottom of the body, that is.
So checking off items from the to do list, I made the rear most part of the floor, there was a 2" slice
missing. Then I noticed that I hadn't remembered to make the last bit in the middle of the
Transmission tunnel.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick178.jpg)
The part required some metal shaping, that's why I hadn't done it before. I'm an expert procrastinator.
Today it's Finland's independence day, so I'm off from work. I decided to do something I've been thinking
of since I started this project, namely tidying up the front end of the frame rails.
They looked a bit wobbly, so I started by hammering the flanges with two big hammers, the bigger one
used as a makeshift dolly. The material is about 1/8" thick steel, so it took some
beating.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick179.jpg)
I shortened the top and bottom flanges about 5/8" hoping that would give me the
look I am going for, then capped the end of the frame with a piece of 1/8" by 1-3/8" sheetmetal, cut like
a flat bar, and bent around a pipe.
Some welding and grinding later they're done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick179a.jpg)
I still have to do the E-brake, and plan holes in the firewall for the heater hoses and ignition wires. I'm
planning on mounting the two coils inside of the firewall Then take a bunch of measurements for a
baseline ride height. It will be exciting to see if I can get the body off, without dropping it...
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So many good ideas in play here. The battery hider is really cool. Thanks for the drawing.
I've been doing a lot of battery lifting. I'm replacing the 12 L16 batteries for our soar system, well over 100 pounds each.
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I've been wanting to build something like this to hide my radio/stereo under the dash and pop it down when it's being used.
[/quote
Rattiac, i did that for my buddies 32 ford p.u. I built a contoured tray that matched the underside dash curve that flipped down like a glove box. Worked out great, can't hardly see it when its up.
Essex, great job on the frame horns. Looks real nice.
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Floor came out great! Nice work!
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Thank you sixball, sammons and TFoch.
Thursday evening I mocked up the fenders and a runningboard and took a pic of the result. Some photoshopping
later, here's kind of a preview of what it might look like when it's done.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick180a.jpg)
Yesterday I was cleaning up some of the mess I've made over the last week or two, and decided that now is as
good time as ever to take the body off the frame.
I unbolted the frame from the garage floor and begun removing doors, unbolting the body etcetera.
The engine hoist is useful here.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick180b.jpg)
Today a buddy came and helped me move the body from the frame to a svivel wheel dolly I made
earlier, so it has something easily moveable to stand on while I'm working on the frame.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick180c.jpg)
I removed the carbs, intake and exhaust primaries... It's surprising how small the whole thing
looks now.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick180d.jpg)
When I get the engine and transmission out, I'll turn the frame over and do some final welding
that I didn't want to do upside down earlier. Then a few modifications are going to be done, to
repair at least one mistake, and a change in the plans.
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Mock up looks great! Most people have no idea the amount of work "put it together, take it apart" we go thru to get it all to fit propper.
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That's right, sammons. Until now just a handful of bolts are tightened, not meant to come off
again. All of those are on the pedal assemblies, which themselves aren't mounted to the body. Good
thing one likes wrenching on cars.
After a couple days break, I pulled the engine and transmission from the frame. As the engine and
transmission aren't meant to work together, I had to cut a pice out of the bellhousing for the starter.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick181.jpg)
Now everything fits. Barely. I ran a feelergauge around the end of the starter, and a .010" just fit
on the underside. Good thing, I didn't have to try to get the transmission and engine fit together more
than once.
So now the frame is bare. I found a pic of the frame right before I got it sandblasted a couple years
ago, and if you look closely, you might see a difference. I'm looking forward to taking pics of the
finished frame with engine, transmission, suspension, wheels, prop shaft and exhausts.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buickframe1.jpg)
I now have the frame standing on its side, lifted with and secured by the engine hoist. It's useful
for all kinds of lifting.
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Man, that looks cool with the fenders on. 😎
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This is fun to follow. Quality all the way!
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Thank you Rattiac, I like the fendered look, but I'm afraid it will have to sit a bit higher to
be driveable. Hopefully not a lot.
You too, sixball, thank you for the nice words!
Work on the frame now.
I finished up the engine mounts, figuring they'd be easier to weld nicely when I can move the
frame around freely. It took a piece of 1/8" wall water tubing and some small pieces of the
same thickness plate, to make them ready.
The 1/4" thick round shaped engine mount plate that looks like it's just welded to the boxing plate, is in
fact not round, but welded to the inside of the frame, and it also has wedges that are welded to the frame
flange under it. The box plate is molded around the mount.
I use Volvo 740 transmission mounts for both the engine and transmission.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick182.jpg)
Since I changed to bigger rear tires, I'm now in the process of lowering the front four link mounts
about 1-1/4" to compensate.
That's the change in plan that I mentioned earlier. As you may see, the lower frame part, that goes
under the prop shaft is partly cut. That's the mistake I talked about. That thing sits too high, so
the prop shaft might hit it.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick183.jpg)
Later today I cut out the right hand side four link mounts and the center frame part and did a lot
of grinding to tidy things up.
Next will be to get the new frame cener piece made and finish weld everything.
-
Because reasons not much have been done the last week or so. I cut he parts for the new
center piece for the frame, and that's about it.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick184.jpg)
Hoping to get back at it after christmas, so here goes, greetings from my
garage building, here in Finland:
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buickxmas23.jpg)
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Merry Christmas from New Hampshire USA. No snow here yet!
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Ooff! TFoch, we've had snow sinve October, we had an extremely early winter this year.
Back out playing in the garage today. As you may know, Christmas is celebrated mainly on
Christmas eve here in Europe, December 24th, so the 25th is almost like a normal day off.
I welded up the pices in my last post today, starting with good welds on the inside, to get
the little crossmember strong, enve when it's ground on the outside to look nice.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick184a.jpg)
After completely welding and grinding it, it looked like this.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick184b.jpg)
I tacked in the right hand side four link bar mount and then fully welded everything
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick184c.jpg)
Again lifting the frame and turning it in all different positions to make welding easier. The
frame is upside down in this pic.
Now to a little problem:
I have Moser drive shafts with C-clips. I'm wondering if this will really work, the surface
for the wheel bearing is pretty darn coarse, just like turned on a lathe. Is this normal on
a new axle shaft?
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick1drive.jpg)
Hard to see in a small pic, but it's not at all like bearing races usually are, almost with a
mirror finish. Would anyone of you have any experience with this kind of thing?
Here's a pic of the end of the axle, just for reference.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick2drive.jpg)
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Happy New Year!
Keeping on trying to finish the frame. Now it's time for the strut rods that have
to be modified to fit. Starting with a couple old Mustang lower control arms that
I bought at a swap meet, I decided to use the inboard bushing to make what
effectively is an extended A-arm.
I first cut away most of what I don't need.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185.jpg)
Then made some brackets. They're two slightly different sizes, because the frame
slopes downward towards the back.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185aa.jpg)
The length of the whole assembly is dictated by the idler arm on this side, and
of course, the pitman arm on the driver's side. Brackets tacked in place in this
pic, still working on the strut rod end.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185a.jpg)
Here the strut rod end is tacked to the rod itself. The aim is to keep the bushings
aligned to make for a smooth moving assembly.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185b.jpg)
This pic shows how I made the thing compression resistant by welding in a crush
preventing part in the middle, made from 1/8" plate.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185c.jpg)
Finally the whole thing was clad in the same 1/8" plate, welded
and ground to a smooth finish
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick185d.jpg)
New year, new possiblilities... And now I just have to do the other side.
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Nice work as usual! Thanks for posting all the details.
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Nice fab work Essex.
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Thank you TFoch and sammons!
Slow progress the last month or so, since I have been coughing and had had a cold that wouldn't let
go. Turns out it's some sinus infection, and I got antibiotics for it yesterday, so I hope to be back on
track in a week maybe.
Since my last post I have made and welded on brackets for the running board mounts to
bolt to, the other strut rod and its mounting brackets and some other small details on
the frame.
Today I boxed in the upper cross member, the one that goes over the prop shaft. I made
it an open design, but decided to box it for some additional rigidity.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick186.jpg)
I also cut five parts from 3/ 16" plate for a reinforcement plate that will bolt to the inside
of the frame, over the steering box. This will reinforce the frame a bit, since I had to mount
the steering box inside the frame, to be able to keep the front end geometry decent.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick187.jpg)
Slow work cutting plate with the angle grinder, but I'm too lazy to get the plasma going for
just a few parts. I probably could have saved time using the plasma already...
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Essex, i feel for you on the sinus infection. Last june i mowed some ragweed/pigweed and i thought that set it off. First ears kept plugging, then headache/pressure behind my eyes, then my forehead hurt. Didn't go away so got a steroid shot, that usually kicks it. Nope, went back and got anti-biotics. Told doc i was good with Penicillan, picked up percription. She got me some kind of Z pack 6 day crap. Tore my stomach up for two weeks😡 Still get the snots and ear plugging couple hours every other day.
Looks like you got her boxed up good. What ever it takes, looking good.
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Ugh, sammons, that doesn't sound good.
In my case the penicillin doesn't seem to work, I have had seven days of it now, and to
no effect at all so far.
Anyway, got in a couple good shifts in the shop, so the to do list for the frame is all ticked
off. I got the reinforcement plate done today, and it now bolts to the frame with eight
M12 bolts, they're almost 1/2"
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick187a.jpg)
The frame is mostly sanded. and hangs from the ceiling and the engine hoist. It was sand
blasted when I started working on it, so I'm mostly sanding the epoxy primer so that the
new epoxy and paint will stick. I might do the epoxy tomorrow, but I don't look forward to
it. I dislike standing outside in the winter washing the spray gun with ice cold thinner,
procrastination might be a more funner solution.
-
I decided to dismiss ideas of procrastination today, and went ahead and got it done.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188.jpg)
Luckily it's not crazy cold here now (33 degrees), so heathing is not realy an issue. in a few days ahead,
thursday, I think,
5 degrees is forecasted, and I like at least about 60 in the shop when I paint, so I'd better do this inside a few days.
A few winters ago, I did bodywork and paint on a ?68 BelAir wagon. It was many weeks of work and the
electric bill wasn't fun that winter.
For filler to work good, you really can't save on heat.
-
More painting today, better do it as long as the garage is heated nicely, and the weather is not too cold.
Luckily I went to buy more black paint earlier today, to later have paint ready for the bottom and inside of
the body, as it turned out I needed a lot more paint than expected.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188a.jpg)
So much overspray when you paint something like this.
I got the parts for the front suspension painted too.
-
Looking good Essex! Yes, filler and paint don't play well at 60 and below. Amazing how much paint all those small parts and frames take with all the overspray. When i was painting sprint cars, those chassis took a lot of paint trying to get to all sides of all those tubes. Drag car cages were bad enough, but tube chassis were terrible.
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Thank you sammons. Yes, I hear you, spray painting anything built from tubes is a chore, and
a huge waste of paint.
I happened to get the frame hung almost exactly on its center of gravity, so I could roll it back to its
place with the engine hoist without any help. It sits on jack stands now, with rags between the
stands and the painted frame, like any old show car frame. Silly as this is going to be a driver. The paint
on the frame will be scratched to death in a week when I get to drive this thing.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188b.jpg)
I started with the fun stuff, mounting new bushings and balljoints. This is slow work, the old fasteners
being used have to be cleaned, details and parts have to be painted and of course, some parts are
missing and have to be ordered.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188c.jpg)
All stages of a build are fun in some way. Right now it feels awesome to be doing something that visibly
shows progress.
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Frame looks great Essex. Your moving right along.
-
Thank you sammons, doing my best to keep the momentum going.
A few bits done, new balljoints and bushings in the control arms. I also trial fitted the adapters for the
GM G-body/ Camaro/ S10 brake calipers to mate to the MustangII spindles, so that the 11" Granada
brake rotors will fit.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188cc.jpg)
I have to say, the aftermarket for American cars is amazing. You're not likely be able to find anything similar for average European cars, old or new.
Steering box out of a Mercedes-Benz W124 cleaned, painted and mounted in its place.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188f.jpg)
Same with the idler arm, which also got a new repair kit with bushings and that big bolt.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick188g.jpg)
The strut rod bushing to the right of the idler arm in this pic is still the old one. I have ordered new
bushings from Rockauto a couple days ago.
-
I cleaned up and painted the rear axle a few days ago, and decided to try and
remove the bearings today. I ended up making a tool from 3/8" plate for removing
them . Using a borrowed heavy duty slide hammer it was easy to get the bearings out.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick189a.jpg)
I'll go buy some kerosene and brake cleaner tomorrow for cleaning the rear axle
internally, and then the engine and transmission for painting.
First time trying to fit the adapters for the GM calipers and Granada rotors. It's fun when
parts from three different cars just fit perfectly.
The Ford brake rotor is slightly thinner than the GM rotor would have been, so for piece
of mind I'm going to make a shim to go between the caliper piston and the brake pad.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick189.jpg)
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Chassis is looking great!
-
Looking really good. Your moving right along.
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Thank you, TFoch and sammons.
I got new bearings, seals and drive shafts mounted, then got the oil filler plug
out (after weding a bolt to it).
Then got the rear brakes done and adjusted.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick189b.jpg)
I had to watch a good video on youtube to get the springs right. Last time I built brakes
like these was last spring, but I had managed to forget how I did it.
That done, the right hand brake rotor with new bearing and all was installed, and
suddenly we have a roller!
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick190L.jpg)
Getting the project down on the floor standing on its own wheels always feels like an accomplishment
-
Looking good. Gonna be like a brand new car. 👍
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Thank you Rattiac. It's fun with new parts. When I built the Essex I didn't have any money, so all parts were
used, good parts, but used. I put in s new rear brake cylinder and a repair kit for the brake master cylinder, not
much else. Budget was slim&tight that time.
I got all three brake hoses done yesterday. I should have welded those in before painting the frame, but I didn't
think of it then.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick192.jpg)
I bought a couple 5/8" box wrenches and cut them down to use as brake hose moutning brackets. This works
very well, and was fun, compared to filing holes to fit the hoses
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick192a.jpg)
I had been planning on painting the transmission, but it turned out pretty nice just cleaning ithe dirt and crud off with an assorment
of rotating wire brushes.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191.jpg)
I also mounted the slave clutch cylinder. I'll change the oil,then it will be ready for installation.
-
Very cool idea using the box wrenches for the brake hose mount!
-
Looks really nice Essex!
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Thank you Tom. I was thinking about how to file nice looking hexagonal holes and decided wrenches
would be more fun.
Also, I was thinking of you today and the footer in your posts, as I was enjoying a good part of my
day lying in the sofa with the cat on my chest, and my grandkid sitting on my legs, reading books with
her and her sister. Time well spent, even if it wasn't spent in the garage.
Thank you also, sammons Always fun when the work you do show like they do at this time. It
feels like progress.
I spent a couple hours cleaning off most of the dirt off my engine thursday evening, efter getting it
bolted to the engine stand the night before.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191a.jpg)
It's a ton more work that to clean up a chevy small block, there are so many small shapes in the
block and the heads, it's taking a lot of effort to get it clean, probably three hours was spent after
taking the after pic above.
I dropped the bottom part of the oil pan to clean it out and check how bad it looked inside. Not
very good, but with some luck, the engine might be serviceable.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191b.jpg)
Tomorrow I'll probably go get a couple of those rotating nylon abrasive wire brushes to scuff the
block and heads with to give the epoxy something to grab onto. Before that I'll do some engine
work, cleaning the vavetrain some and flush the engine with some oil and diesel and ...
We'll see.
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Back after a lot more cleaning and also some totally unrelated work.
I removed the cylindrical thingy in the oil pan here in my last post. I assume it's an oil level sender or
something. I welded the hole shut after removing the sender, it was leaking anyway, so no reason at
all to keep it.
A few days more of cleaning the block and various parts, I stirred a batch of epoxy and sprayed it on.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191c.jpg)
The engine looks funny in light gray, like an Iveco marine diesel. Transmission bellhousing was epoxied
too, as was the engine to trans adapter and the intake.
Then the next day, black automotive 2K Glasurit high gloss paint.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191f.jpg)
The intake looks very nice when painted. Before painting I welded in a longitudinal divider in the center
of the intake to avoid the adjacent intake runners to steal the air/fuel mix from eachother.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191g.jpg)
The bell housing was painted where it shows when you look at the back of the engine with the car assembled.
(http://www.waasadata.com/buick/img/buick191h.jpg)
Today, I sandblasted and epoxied the engine mounts, also the new water pump, thermostat housing and pulley.
Seems it's new parts that need to be painted every day.
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Engine and trans looks great! You are moving right along.
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Looks like fine jewelry!
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It looks great. You can't go wrong with gloss black.
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Thank you all for the positive comments!
I had a hickup with some weird silicone crap on my engine parts which prevcented the paint to
stick. It seems okay now, but I think I might sand and paint the valve covers again.
I've been doing little things, like cutting paper gaskets and for the distributors and putting new
seals in them. They'll mount on the ends of the camshafts, so it's a bit different than the old
V8s I usually work on.
Painting engine mounts, waterpump and pulleys, mounting some stuff and so on.
Today I finally got to take out the big box I ordered from PMC (a Polish company) that contains
the engine to transmission adapter. The box has been warming its shelf for years already.
The aluminum flywheel with its cast steel friction surface looks phenomenal, it's like technical
porn. It sandwiches the flex plate to the crank, so the starter has something to engage to.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick193.jpg)
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I had to get help to get the transmission coaxed all the way into position. Even then we worked
quite a bit to get it done. I must have gotten the clutch plate a tad off center.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick193a.jpg)
I had to buy a few fastners today, for bolting the bellhousing to the engine. Some of the bolts
that came with the adapter kit were a bit too short for my liking.
I have some after market gauges, and ofcourse the temp sender doesn't fit. I went to a hydraulic
shop, and they had a thingy that fit the thread in my engine, but not to the sender. So a guy put the
thingy in the lathe, chopped it off, drilled a bigger hole through it, and ran a tap through it, so now
the sender fits. The thingymajig, the labour and a cupper washer amounted to the grand total of
16 ?uros. That's about $17.50. Unbelievable.
They took pity in me, I guess.
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That engine and trans would never fit in my 33 Chevy!
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TFoch, it wouldn't have fit in this car either, if it weren't for some modifications to the frame and body.
Actually, no one knows how it will actually fit with all its accessories. Right now I have no idea how I'll get some
kind of oil filtration system to fit on the driver's side under where the power steering pump will mount. Also, I
have planned on running a mechanical fan, but right now I think there's a chance I'll have to run an electric
one and I really wouldn't want that.
In any case, the technicals fit just fine so far, where it was three months ago.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick193b.jpg)
The engine and transmission along with the propshaft are mounted and the pinion angle checked. Lots of
visual progress today, and to me, a chassis close to ready like this is fun to just look at. Close to ready is
an illusion, of course, lots missing still.
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Essex_29...that is a piece of art!
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Thank you Ed!
I got a couple small things done, I sanded the distributor housings with first 80 grit, then 180-360-600-
1000-2000 and 4000. it took just a few minutes to get them shiny after that.
I have new seals and gaskets in the distributors now, all bolted up with new hardware, new rotors and caps.
Last night I painted the gold stripes on the valve covers, and today my son was here, he sat in the kitchen
painting the CADILLAC script.
Just now in the evening, I screwed the valve covers to the heads with brass acrorn nuts and washers after
drenching the cam shafts in a liberal dose of stp.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick193c.jpg)
Now I'm thinking about how to paint the air filter housings. Silver hammer varnish is what they have been,
but maybe they should be black as not to add too many colors. They'll probably get an Air Maze fiter sticker
anyway, that's probably enough color.
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Essex great job. Looks fantastic!👍👍
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Looks great!
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Black air filter would look awesome, not sure what air maze stickers look like. The cadillac valve covers are the best!
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Wow!
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That is nice. Like the lil details, brass nuts, ect. 👍
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Thank you all, for the support and kind words!
chopper526 After pondering to and fro, I decided to paint the air filter housings black, and did it today.
This is what the Air Maze air filter sticker looked like (bottom), and the top one is my own redesign. I tried to
"Americanize" the Brittish filter sticker, just for fun.
I'll still have to order the sticker, but that's what it will look like. Just noticed that I have a typo there.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/168.jpg)
Yesterday I jacked up the body, still sitting on its dolly, to be able to do some welding that I couldn't do while
the frame was still bolted to the floor. To be done is finish welding a lot of rosette welds along the trans tunnel
and some details around the bottoms of the B-pillars.
(http://waasadata.com/buick/img/buick194.jpg)
The bottom edge along the rear of the body has some rust along it, so it needs some repair work done.